School News NZ - Term 4 - 2017

Te Akau ki Papamoa School Where everyone’s winning Essential Reading for Principals • Department Heads • Teachers • Professionals

SCOREBOARDS & DIGITAL SIGNAGE Full colour LED, simple to use.

KPFQQT URQTVU Ū QWVFQQT URQTVU Ū KPHQTOCVKQP DQCTFU TQCFUKFG QT GPVTCPEG DQCTFU Ū ITCRJKEU VGZV QT UNKFGUJQYU

enquiries@proto.co.nz (03) 365 3366

V I S ION PRESENTATION PRODUCTS

VISION educational products for presentation display and visual communication by Potter Interior Systems.

With a strong focus on adaptable innovative learning environments, VISION can provide a aptitude of solutions customisable to your space and project.

PREMIUM WHI TEB OARDS QUA LI T Y PINB OARDS

(PORC ELAIN ON STEEL)

(FRAMED OR EDGE WRAPPED)

C OMBINATI ON WHI TEB OARD + PINB OA RD WHI TEB OA RD CABINE TS WHI TEB OA RD TABLE S GLASSB OA RDS MOBILE/RELOCATABLE B OARDS SLID ING RAIL SYSTEMS LASER E TC HED PLA NNER S LOC KABLE N OTIC EB OARDS FLOOR TO C EILING WHI TEB OARDS AC OUSTIC WA LL C OVERINGS C USTOM SI ZE S + DE SIGN S

www.potters.co.nz

0800 POTTERS

What’s In This Issue

| INSIDE Kia ora and welcome to the School News for term four.

ISSN 1178-9964

SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES: $42 for 12 Months $72 for 24 Months Phone (03) 365 5575 subscriptions@schoolnews.co.nz www.schoolnews.co.nz KEY CONTACTS: ADVERTISING Dee Dawson - (03) 365 5575 d.dawson@schoolnews.co.nz EDITORIAL Anna Clements - (03) 365 5575 editorial@schoolnews.co.nz PRODUCTION Richard McGill - (03) 365 5575 r.mcgill@schoolnews.co.nz CONTRIBUTORS: Anna Clements, Ros Lugg, Daniel Murfitt, Alice Patrick, Anna Pratt and Professor Martin Thrupp VIEWS AND OPINIONS: 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 accom management guide, however the information contained in accom management guide is intended to act as a guide only. The publisher, authors and editors expressly disclaim all liability for the results of action taken or not taken on the basis of information contained herein. We recommend professional advice is sought before making important business decisions.

ADVERTISING CONDITIONS: The publisher reserves the right to refuse to publish or to republish without any explanation for such action. The publisher, its employees and agents will endeavour to place and reproduce advertisements as requested but takes no responsibility for omission, delay, error in transmission, production deficiency, alteration of misplacement. The advertiser must notify the publisher of any errors as soon as they appear, otherwise the publisher accepts no responsibility for republishing such advertisements. If advertising copy does not arrive by the copy deadline the publisher reserves the right to repeat existing material.

DISCLAIMER: Any mention of a product, service or supplier in editorial is not indicative of any endorsement by the author, editor or publisher. Although the publisher, editor and authors do all they can to ensure accuracy in all editorial content, readers are advised to factcheck for themselves, any opinion or statement made by a reporter, editor, columnist, contributor, interviewee, supplier or any other entity involved before making judgements or decisions based on the materials contained herein. School news, its publisher, editor and staff, is not responsible for and does not accept liability for any damages, defamation or other consequences (including but not limited to revenue and/or profit loss) claimed to have occurred as the result of anything contained within this publication, to the extent permitted by law.

As I write this, the Labour-led coalition has been in office for only a few days and already some big changes are afoot for the education sector.

The biggest announcement was that National Standards were to be abolished as quickly as possible. This news has been greeted with much delight from principals, teachers and academics who said that National Standards were too driven by political rather than educational considerations.

In our special report, Professor Martin Thrupp of Waikato University shares his reflection on the end of the controversial assessment system.

New education minister Chris Hipkins has also signalled a major review of NCEA saying he wants schools to use “more flexibility”. “You don’t have to do all three levels but the culture is that all kids do all three,” he told the New Zealand Herald. Mr Hipkins says the new government will be seeking to “free up students to learn about each learning area, rather than only what they need to pass NCEA”.

news 05 News Round-Up 08 Ministry News 09 uLEARN17: Improving practice by connecting, collaborating and innovating

12 Special Report – National Standards: Reflecting on the end of National Standards

education 16 Principal Speaks: Transforming school culture to ensure equity and social justice

teacher's desk 19 Upskilling: Which PLD will improve your school’s outcomes?

profiles 24 Te Akau ki Papamoa: Where everyone’s winning

what’s hot 26 What's Hot

teaching resources

Advertisers and Advertising Agents warrant to the publisher that any advertising material placed is in no way an infringement of any copyright or other right and does not breach confidence, is not defamatory, libellous or unlawful, does not slander title, does not contain anything obscene or indecent and does not infringe the Consumer Guarantees Act or other laws, regulations or statutes. Moreover, advertisers or advertising agents agree to indemnify the publisher and its’ agents against any claims, demands, proceedings, damages, costs including legal costs or other costs or expenses properly incurred, penalties, judgements, occasioned to the publisher in consequence of any breach of the above warranties.

28 E-Learning: Choosing technology tools to support

©2017. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

36 Musical Instruments: The benefits of music

School News is proudly published by:

teaching, not replace it

32 Soft Material Technology: Kitting out the soft materials room

34 Te Reo: Kapa haka in mainstream schools – Affirming Māori students as Māori lessons in schools

38 Book Reviews PO Box 5104, Papanui, Christchurch, 8543, NZ Phone: (03) 365 5575 Fax: (03) 365 1655 Email: mail@multimediapublishing.co.nz www.multimediapublishing.co.nz School News 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.

04

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

"I think there is a general concern, which I share, that the culture around NCEA has been that the only learning is the learning that contributes towards credits. That is not a culture that I want to see continued," he said.

This term we hear from Māori language advisor Alice Patrick on the importance of kapa haka in mainstream schools: affirming Māori as Māori.

It represents he taonga tuku iho i.e. something that is handed down inter-generationally – to be valued and treasured, she says.

It is a vehicle to appreciate te reo Māori me ōna tikanga, contributing to the retention and revitalisation of the language and its associated culture. At the same time, students are learning life skills, by having to demonstrate commitment and self-discipline.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and successful term four.

Noho ora mai

administration 39 Accounting Solutions: Reducing workload and cost by outsourcing the accounts

External Learning 40 Planning for 2018: Making the most of LEOTC opportunites

47 Planning for 2018: Planning an overseas learning adventure

48 Case Study – Otumoetai College: A physics trip to Europe

food & beverage 50 Drinking Water Options: How safe is your school’s water supply?

health & safety 52 Wellbeing: Using mindfulness to build resilience

sports & recreation 53 Fitness: Peddling to success via the school bike track

54 Sports: What kids really learn through playing sport

property 56 Shade Protection: Clever use of shade to keep your school sun-safe

59 Heat Pumps: Great for summer and winter 62 Tractors & Mowers: Ridin' Dirty

Key - For easy perusal Commercial supplier profile or supplier case study Supplier information or content Suppliers share their views in one-off, topical pieces General editorial. Case studies and features may cite or quote suppliers, please be aware that we have a strict ‘no commercial content’ guideline for all magazine editorial, so this is not part of any commercial advertorial but may be included as relevant opinion. Happy reading!

News Round-Up

| NEWS

Suggestion handwriting should not be taught horrifies expert technology offer some exciting possibilities, they are concerned that children don’t get taught basic skills any more. They are seeing children who are doing wonderful things on Minecraft and other programmes, but can’t write a sentence on a piece of paper.'

Ms Lugg says with children using computer devices from a younger age, they can easily become accustomed to not using handwriting. She says parents, not just school teachers, need to be aware that handwriting is still a key element of a child’s development.

Secondary teachers “significantly underpaid” A literacy specialist says she has been horrified to hear that some school teachers have been advised that children no longer need to be taught handwriting.

Ros Lugg, a remedial literacy specialist and assessor, says any claims that handwriting is less important in the digital era than earlier times are simply wrong.

“Quite apart from the fact that it’s still handy to be able to write your shopping list on a piece of paper when your battery goes flat, there’s loads of research about the developmental importance of handwriting.” Ms Lugg says that international research findings highlight a very strong link between handwriting skills and the ability to express ideas. There is also growing evidence that comprehension is better when notes are handwritten rather than digitally produced.

As the developer of the StepsWeb online literacy programme, Ms Lugg says she is well aware of the potential of technology, but believes there has to be balance and that teachers should not be throwing the baby out with the bathwater. She says a recurring theme from teachers attending her courses, particularly the older,

more experienced teachers, is that children are not taught the basics any more.

“When I heard that an advisor had told teachers they should not teach handwriting as it is no longer needed, I was horrified. You can teach a dyslexic learner how to spell a word on a screen and then find they can’t write it on a piece of paper.

“There seems to be quite a lot of concern that we’re moving away from teaching core skills, in favour of the more flashy, modern approach, which seems to focus almost exclusively on using technology and the creative aspects. “While I think that most of these teachers recognise that modern approaches and

Teachers in secondary schools are significantly underpaid, according to principals across New Zealand.

In a survey carried out by the New Zealand Secondary Principals’ Council (NZSPC) and the Secondary Principals’ Association (SPANZ), principals were asked what actions government should take to address New Zealand’s secondary teacher supply crisis.

Increasing pay was considered to be the most important factor.

When asked what base scale rates should be the median responses from secondary principals were a starting salary of $55,000 and an $88,000 top of

scale.

The average rates suggested were even higher.

“My colleagues are indicating that we need to be offering at least $10,000 more at the top of the scale to be able to recruit and retain qualified staff,” says NZSPC chairman James Morris.

“It is clear to me that staff are significantly underpaid to the tune of 20 per cent. We need to recruit young educators. An 18-year-old police cadet begins on a rate comparable to a degree and diploma qualified teacher.

Something is very wrong here.

We are under-promoting our profession.”

Increase needed for middle leaders Principals also say that middle leadership is underpaid with most suggesting at least $5,000 per unit and $2,000 per management allowance. That would mean that a middle leadership position with two units and a middle management allowance should be paid at least $13,000 more than it currently is – comparable to an Across Community Teacher in a Community of Learning.

“Increasing teacher salaries makes the job more attractive to appoint and retain teachers.

Increasing management units/ allowances is critical. The current value provides little or no incentive for the additional responsibilities and workloads.”

Principals also want the hard to staff incentive payment to be doubled to $5,000 at least.

“These numbers should not be dismissed by the government or the ministry as self-interest.

Principals were not proposing more pay for themselves, but in our role as the day to day employers of other teachers we are saying that these rates are what we need be paying to actually be able to recruit and retain good teachers.

“We will struggle to get quality Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

05

NEWS |

?

News Round-Up

The new voting system will remove a lot of manual processing and paperwork teachers if the pay rates are so low and the workload so high.”

the collation of nomination and voting material.

School trustee elections to be streamlined

“The bar-coding of material through printing and distribution reduces errors and provides traceability for each individual voting paper and envelope from distribution to the household and back to the vote counting process,” says Ms Casey.

The Ministry of Education (MoE) and the New Zealand School Trustees’ Association (NZSTA) are trialling a new system for board of trustee elections to reduce the workload for individual schools.

The MoE and NZSTA are proposing to trial New Zealand Post’s Votext election management process in the December 2017 mid-term elections to provide a greater level of support to returning officers.

“Elected boards are a key feature of our school system. We want to raise the standard and quality of the democratic process and make it as easy as possible for people to get involved,” says MoE spokesperson, Katrina Casey.

“Feedback following the last board elections found that board chairs, principals and returning officers think the system is out of date and cumbersome. They want a better process. The 2017 mid-term elections are a chance to trial Votext on a smaller scale than in the board of trustees’ triennial elections.”

NZSTA has been in contact with the 300-plus school boards involved to provide information on Votext and how it can assist schools and returning officers in the 2017 elections. Schools will be given the choice to opt out of the trial if they wish

NZ Exclusive Brethren school takes top spot in global competition Exclusive Brethren school, Westmount, has taken first place in a global online learning series, beating more than 1,600 schools around the world.

Westmount students have come out on top as the highest ranked school in the annual Education Perfect World Series for 2017. The series saw more than 500,000

students from more than 1,600 schools competing across five events covering social sciences, languages, maths, English and science.

Students answered questions aligned to the New Zealand curriculum, earning points for questions they answered correctly.

Westmount students answered 1,405,518 questions and spent 4,581 hours learning and revising, with students achieving 685 individual awards.

Westmount regional principal Jon Bowen says that to be first in the world is recognition for students’ high level of motivation and selfdirection. “Through Education Perfect, our students have engaged in areas of learning that are already traditional components within our school curriculum. It has enhanced a voyage of learning discovery, particularly in the area of languages, and enabled positive progress for learners in years seven to 13.”

Considered to be the world’s largest online learning event, the Education Perfect World Series is strategically designed to motivate, engage, and inspire students towards academic success.

Westmount School is a private school which operates multiple campuses in Northland, Kaipara, Auckland, Waikato, East Coast, Manawatu, Taranaki, Wellington, Tasman, Marlborough, West Coast, Canterbury, Dunedin and

Votext was developed by NZ Post for use in local body elections, and manages the end-to-end process.

It creates voting papers, prints candidate information, manages mail distribution and counts the votes. It was used in the 2013 and 2016 local body elections.

It will make life easier for returning officers by removing a lot of manual processing and paperwork and provides economies of scale across the sector. An online tool for returning officers will manage

06

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

Invercargill.

Education leaders design a fix for Auckland schools In an unprecedented move, four education groups representing New Zealand’s principals and teachers have announced a sector-led plan to turn around the Auckland teacher crisis.

NZEI Te Riu Roa, New Zealand Principals’ Federation, Auckland Primary Principals’ Association (APPA) and Waitakere Area Principals’ Association (WAPA) have developed a 10-point plan, and are calling on the incoming government to implement the plan by the end of this year. “Attracting and retaining a range of great people with diverse backgrounds into teaching in Auckland must be a top priority to ensure that children’s learning doesn’t suffer,” says NZEI president Lynda Stuart.

WAPA president President Donal McLean says principals were deeply concerned that if teacher supply was not urgently addressed, many children would have their education compromised because of classroom overcrowding or lack of a permanent teacher. The plan has two parts – making teaching a satisfying and financially viable career option, while also improving assistance for children with additional learning and behavioural needs so teachers are empowered to give the best possible education to all their students. “If the needs of children with learning and behavioural needs continue to be neglected, we will all suffer the loss of their potential,” said APPA president Kevin Bush.

The group’s recommendations are to:

Westmount is the highest ranked school in the annual Education Perfect World Series for 2017

•

Make class sizes smaller in low decile schools by 2020 so that teachers have more time with children.

•

Write off the student loans of teachers who commit to placement in Auckland

-ON BOO ITE

KS

wit

schools and other hard to staff areas for three years.

•

Let teachers teach rather than spending too much time overassessing children.

•

Increase teachers’ pay.

•

Investigate making affordable housing for key public sector employees a priority in Auckland housing projects.

hourly rate used for Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) and HHN funding – which has not changed in eight years – to $19.00 per hour so that the work and skills of people working with high needs children is valued properly.

•

Committing to at least a 10 percent increase in resourcing for learning support in Budget 2018 to make up for nine years of a staffing freeze – we need a realistic level of specialist services to meet demand.

•

Fund special needs coordinators (SENCOs) to meet the needs of every child in every school in Budget 2018.

Learning support Genuinely prioritising children with learning and behavioural needs helps all children achieve their potential.

We need to do this by: •

•

Giving children with mental health needs access to High Health Needs (HHN) funding immediately.

Increasing the notional

•

Value teacher aides and other support staff by committing to a living wage by 2019 and a 10-year strategic plan to

er h answ

s

SIGMA WR

News Round-Up?

| NEWS

NZ Curriculum Based Write-on Workbooks

Action English Dragon Maths Track Maths An essential purchase for core subjects Titles available for Years 3 to 11 Over a million student copies sold Teaching key skills with fun activities These workbooks really work!

Discounts for bulk sales. For school orders phone 0800 274 462 or go to our website :

www.sigmapublications.co.nz

“In the supporting role”

T! THE STAGE IS SE Stage Sections, Portable Grandstands, Choir, Orchestra and Audience Risers, Kapa Haka Stages, Drapes, Steps, Lecterns, Trolleys, Ramps and Ballet Barres.

Top quality, NZ made products, designed to be safe and easy to handle and store.

Guaranteed to perform.

Currently installed in many schools, universities & performance venues.

Stronglite Staging® is also the authorised NZ Agent for

products.

8 99 SALES 0800 78 7 33 HIRES 0800 12 12

www.stronglite.co.nz Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

07

NEWS |

?

Ministry News

MOE releases guidelines for supporting well-being of LGBTIQA+ students The Ministry of Education (MoE) has published a set of guidelines to support the inclusion, safety and wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ students.

Salesa and Kelvin Davis (Māori education).

This guidance isn’t a set of hard or fast rules or indicative of any policy changes in this area, but rather advice for school leaders and teachers as they navigate issues that may arise as they work to create an inclusive learning environment.

The work of schools supporting children with additional learning needs will be celebrated as part of the 2018 Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards.

Information published on the MOE website includes: •

understanding sex, gender and sexuality diversity

•

creating a school culture where all students are included, visible and valued

•

addressing immediate environmental, physical and social needs of students

•

creating an inclusive classroom that supports all students to achieve.

Research shows that LGBT students are less likely to ask for help if they are upset, have higher risk of mental health issues and fewer ‘protective factors’ such as a sense of belonging at school.

Partnering with students, teachers and parents in planning for the inclusion and well-being of all students means everyone can be confident that school is a safe and affirming environment.

Learning support focus for 2018 Education Excellence Awards

The 2018 Education Focus Prize, Takatū, will celebrate outstanding inclusive practices that enable all children and young people with additional learning needs to succeed.

Now in their fifth year, the Education Excellence Awards are about recognising and celebrating exceptional work being done in schools and early learning services across the country to support children and young people to achieve their very best. The awards cover early childhood education, primary and secondary schooling, as well as Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako. The four main categories are: •

•

School leaders can also find out how students at their school really feel through the free Wellbeing@ school student survey

Labour names education team Chris Hipkins has been named as education minister in the new Labour government. Mr Hipkins is the MP for Rimutaka and was elected for the first time in the 2008 election.

Associate education ministers are New Zealand First list member Tracey Martin, and Labour’s Jenny

08

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

•

Excellence in Engaging – Atahāpara Award: This award celebrates working together as a community to transform relationships and achievement, leading to improved and sustained outcomes for all children and young people.

Excellence in Leading – Atakura Award: This award celebrates leadership and influence that have strengthened professional capability and created a change in conditions, leading to improved and sustained outcomes for all children and young people.

Excellence in Teaching and Learning – Atatū Award: This award celebrates teaching that transforms the learning of all children and young people, and achieves improved and sustained outcomes for them all.

LGBT students are at higher risk of mental health issues •

Excellence in Governing – Awatea Award: This award celebrates governance and management that create the conditions for leading and teaching that improve and sustain outcomes for all children and young people.

The winning entry in each category receives $20,000 and a professional development opportunity. The four category winners will be eligible for the Prime Minister’s Supreme Award, which will go to the partnership or group that has had the most impact on raising student achievement. The winner of the Supreme Award receives an additional $30,000.

A further prize is awarded each year focusing on a different part of the education system, with the 2018 Education Focus Prize, Takatū Prize, celebrating outstanding, inclusive practices that enable all children and young people with additional learning needs to succeed.

Previous winners include a Kōhanga Reo, Puna Reo, kindergarten, early childhood education centres, primary, intermediate and secondary schools, a teen parenting unit, a health school and a trades academy.

Entries close 23 March 2018.

Finalists will be announced in May 2018 and a national awards ceremony will be held in Christchurch in June.

$50m rebuild proposed for Whangarei Boys’ High In one of the largest-ever building projects at a New Zealand school, Whangarei Boys’ High School will undergo a $50m makeover.

The work on the Whangarei Boys’ High School project, part of an upgrade to education facilities in Northland, is expected to begin in 2019 and be completed in 2022.

School principal Karen GilbertSmith says better buildings will inspire the students. “People think boys don’t notice their surroundings and don’t care, but I think they do. They don’t complain but they note it.

“However, there’s fantastic camaraderie amongst the boys.

It’s a big part of the culture. They talk about the “brotherhood”, and support from their mates, as being so important for them, so the state of their school buildings seems the least of their worries.

“They will definitely notice when everything is transformed. It will be inspirational and hopefully give them a love of learning in a modern environment – a huge leap forward, not just for the school, but for Northland too. We have to make sure this is a place that the boys want to come to.

Continuing to focus on attendance means that we will make gains in achievement.”

There are 1,100 students at Whangarei Boys’, which opened 136 years ago, and the roll is growing.

Exactly what the new facilities will include is yet to be determined as is whether a PPP (Public Private Partnership) will be used for the redevelopment. A number of major Ministry of Education-led projects are underway across Northland.

Recently, Northland College in Kaikohe opened its new school facilities after a complete rebuild.

uLearn17?

| NEWS

uLEARN17: improving practice by connecting, collaborating and innovating

Delegates from Tauranga school, Te Akau ki Papamoa

Photo: CORE Education

It might have looked like a gig for the grown-ups but ultimately, uLearn17 was all about the kids.

During four days of school holidays, 1,350 education professionals converged in Hamilton to improve their work for the children of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Conference creators CORE Education design uLearn to inspire and inform, and use three overarching themes that focus on aspects of learning and leading: connect, collaborate and innovate. Delegates can gain insight from education thought leaders, investigate and analyse best practice, and deepen their understanding of the latest developments in teaching technologies.

Sessions - four keynotes and 278 breakouts - were dispersed between Rototuna (Hamilton North), Hamilton East and Frankton; keynotes and exhibitors at the Claudelands Events Centre, and breakouts at ultra modern

unsuccessfully to explain a physics problem, he invited his class to discuss the problem with each other - and within minutes found they had figured it out.

Keynote speaker Brad Waid Rototuna Junior High School, Peachgrove Intermediate School, Southwell School, the FMG Stadium Waikato, and back at Claudelands.

Speakers from the USA, UK and Aotearoa addressed issues facing educators everywhere – working with mobile devices and connecting with learners – as well as those very specific to New Zealand schools, challenging long-held beliefs and practices that exclude Māori learners from educational success.

Learning: a shared experience First up was Eric Mazur, a professor of physics and applied physics at Harvard University, and technology entrepreneur.

He emphasised the difference between transmission of information and construction of knowledge that must take place in the minds of the learners. Mr Mazur says his “a-ha” moment during his own teaching practice came when, after trying

From this Mr Mazur developed an entirely different approach in his class, starting with posing a question; polling the immediate responses - and then, instead of responding as the teacher, inviting students to discuss their responses amongst themselves before re-entering their response.

The shift here is characterised by making the lesson more active (not passive), and allows for the personalisation of learning - with students able to engage with each other in ways that an individual teacher never can.

“The realisation here is what we in New Zealand would understand as the power of tuakana teina, and the power of sharing ideas with someone who has only recently learned it, not necessarily the “expert” whose knowledge is well established and intuitive,” says Derek Wenmoth from CORE Education.

Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

09

NEWS |

? uLearn17

uLearn17 delegates exploring the maker space

Connecting with learners Next up was Michigan “influencer, thought leader and futurist”, Brad Waid. Mr Waid demonstrated the importance he attaches to making connections by beginning with his pepeha in Te Reo, instantly making a connection with his audience.

He then spoke about engaging the globally connected student of today, urging educators to look at the engaging factors students are faced with each day, and how to leverage those in a learning context. He talked about emerging technologies, the power of gaming, why students are willing to spend hours online or connected, and the importance of digital citizenship in an evershrinking world.

Effective use of digital technology From the north of England came Abdul Chohan who is known as a pioneer for his work in learning through mobile devices.

He has developed and worked with a number of international educational organisations as well as continuing his work in strategy development for mobile devices to enhance and support student learning.

Mr Chohan spoke about the challenge of undertaking change, that it’s not about accepting the change or developing the skill set to cope with change, it’s about changing the underpinning belief that sits in direct resistance to the change. Change the belief and

Breakout sessions gave delegates a chance to share ideas

10

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

the behaviour itself will change, he says.

In his example, Mr Chohan shared the teacher belief which surrounds the old laptop trolley.

The teachers would print a class set of worksheets ‘just in case’ because they didn’t believe that the trolley would work. None of those same teachers would put out a table of magazines in case their television wasn’t working – because they believed it would work. And so it became about shifting focus toward that of simplicity and reliability; in creating an environment that has great ‘plumbing’ and simple, reliable devices.

Mr Chohan also talked about measuring impact, and how to tell when belief has been changed.

He gave the example of teachers at the school he co-founded, The Olive Tree School, using audio comments to provide feedback to students. Researchers analysing the effect on students of hearing the intonation had a measurable positive impact on achievement.

Within 12 months, the school had achieved an “outstanding” rating from education review officers, despite 68 per cent of students starting at school around two years behind the national norm for five-year-olds. Leveraging technology to establish a more personalised approach to feedback and relationships had clearly worked.

Delivering for all learners From Aotearoa’s own we had Dr Ann Milne, a Pakehā educator

Abdul Chohan spoke about the challenge of undertaking change

uLearn17?

| NEWS

practice reflect their reality?”

who describes herself as a “serial disruptor of our national white driven policies and practice and of our own Pakehā comfort zones”.

Dr Milne, a former principal of Kia Aroha College, a bilingual secondary school in South Auckland, asked us to think about what community and collaboration look like for the

learners our system marginalises and minoritises.

“When we talk about educational success “as Māori”, what does this actually mean and how do our institutionalised practices and solutions actually work against this goal? In the pressure we face to collaborate, who is our community and how does our

Delegates had many opportunities to explore these issues further in the very many presentations, workshops, spotlight sessions, tasters, connected conversations, sofa sessions and in a hands-on maker space playground. CORE staff report that the breakouts that were the most well attended included those focused on engaging Māori students and whānau, the digital technologies curriculum, collaboration and maker spaces.

CORE’s ten trends were divided into categories of culture (learner agency and artificial intelligence), technology (The Cloud and Blockchain), process (collaboration and data science),

Harvard physics professor Eric Mazur structure (Kahui Ako and virtual learning), and economic (automation and STEM).

The task now for delegates is to run with the inspiration, share the ideas, skills and strategies with colleagues, and to keep striving to deliver quality and meaningful education to every Kiwi child. uLearn18 is scheduled for October 10-12 at Auckland’s SkyCity Convention Centre.

By Anna Clements, Editor

uLearn17

Annual educators’ conference

uLearn17 delivered a wealth of valuable connections, collaborations and innovations ... thank you to all attendees, presenters, keynotes, sponsors and exhibitors for making it awesome.

Next year we are in Auckland! If you’d like to join hundreds of educators at uLearn18, register your interest now.

core-ed.org/register-interest-uL18 0800 267 301 Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

11

SPECIAL REPORT |

National Standards

Reflecting on the end of National Standards I have been asked to reflect on the end of National Standards and I thought I would focus particularly on how researchers and academics contributed to the debates over the standards and to how they are now being thrown out.

I will be referring in places to my recently-published book, with Bob Lingard, Meg Maguire, and David Hursh, entitled The Search for Better Educational Standards: A Cautionary Tale. This book provides a rich account of the rise and enactment of the national standards policy from multiple perspectives. The book also looks at Ngā Whanaketanga Rumaki Māori, the Māorimedium assessment system that accompanied the National Standards.

the ten years that followed, the government had dismissed all criticisms. Any late turning back would be a sign of weakness, and instead the National party wanted to plough on with this truly awful project that had already became a world-class example of how not to make education policy.

As shown repeatedly throughout A Cautionary Tale, the national standards were too driven by political rather than educational considerations. As Bob Lingard says in his reflection (A Cautionary Tale, chapter 10):

How not to make policy

‘National Standards Plus’, the reporting of a child’s National Standards data would go online so that parents could track their child’s achievement as they were assessed.

To me, one of the most interesting things about the 2017 general election and National Standards was the National party’s pre-election announcement that it would be further reinforcing the standards. With the new

It is tempting to say that National were already in a hole with this policy and should have stopped digging. There had been numerous signs in recent years that that the policy was in trouble (see A Cautionary Tale, chapter 9). Indeed, just

the week before National Standards Plus was announced, a feature-length article in the New Zealand Herald had pointed out numerous difficulties with the existing form of National Standards.

But the National-led government had become fully invested in the National Standards policy.

When it was first announced in 2007, it was National’s big idea for education – the ‘cornerstone’ of its education policy. Over

“The analysis seems to demonstrate that instead of evidence-informed policy what we have here is more a case of policy-based evidence, with the political in the national standards very much overriding research evidence and professional knowledges, to the detriment of the reform”.

The contributions of researchers and academics Despite the National-led government’s adherence to the national standards, researchers and academics certainly pushed back against the policy.

I emphasise this because a recent posting on Diane Ravitch’s popular blog quotes Australian Phil Cullen handing out bouquets and brickbats around the National Standards being thrown out. While I agree with much of what Cullen has to say, the only mention academics get are as “schooliolist academic know-alls”. It is as if we contributed nothing to the campaign against National Standards.

In fact, researchers and academics did a great deal in this space! A particular highlight for me was the 2012 open letter signed by more than 100 education academics against the public release of the National Standards data.

12

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

SPECIAL REPORT |

National Standards

But there were countless other instances of academics and researchers opposing the National Standards, either publicly or more behind the scenes. Opinion pieces, articles, TV debates, radio, public meetings, meetings behind closed doors – and all the rest of it. Chapter 8 of A Cautionary Tale, about the politics of research, gives numerous examples.

A number of us also did empirical research that helped to explain how the National Standards were a problem (see A Cautionary Tale, especially chapters 3, 5 and 7). And, of course, New Zealand researchers are part of international networks that are working on the same concerns about high-stakes assessment in other countries (see A Cautionary Tale, especially chapters 2 and 10). Note to Cullen: without doubt, some of the best work in this area is coming from Australian academics.

14

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

It is true that some researchers and academics chose to support the National-led government’s national standards policies (A Cautionary Tale, chapter 8). This happened for various reasons that may have included the researchers’ educational views, their political beliefs, the political pressures that were upon them or their organisations, and the advantages that came with supporting the policy. It may have also involved a judgement that it was better to be ‘inside the tent’ and have influence than be on the outside.

But this range of viewpoints among researchers and academics is no different than was seen within the teaching profession and amongst principals, where National Standards also had supporters.

Indeed, a central problem that the new Labour-led government will have to grapple with, having removed the National Standards policy, is doing away with the data-driven disposition amongst

teachers and principals that grew along with the policy under the previous government.

Looking ahead Even though most teachers and principals did not like the impact of the National Standards policy, after a decade of its influence New Zealand primary schools are now marinated in the thinking, language, and expectations of the National Standards. This has also had wider impacts, for instance on early childhood education. It will all take a little while to undo.

It’s great, though, that New Zealand primary schools will

now be able to spend less time shoring up judgements about children – judgements that have often been pointless or harmful – and instead spend more time making learning relevant and interesting for each child.

Removing National Standards should also allow teachers to be less burdened, contributing to making teaching a more attractive career again.

By Professor Martin Thrupp, University of Waikato This article first appeared in Ipu Kererū, blog of the New Zealand Association for Research in Education.

Prof. Martin Thrupp is Head of Te Whiringa School of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Waikato. His research interests are in education policy with a particular focus on the lived effects of policy across socially diverse and unequal communities. A lot of his work during the past decade has been around the National Standards policy and this has culminated in his latest book, The Search for Better Educational Standards: A Cautionary Tale (Springer). Martin was the 2016 recipient of the NZARE McKenzie Award (citation) for his significant contribution to educational research and to NZARE over an extended period of time.

?

| NEWS

supplier profile SCHOLAR FURNITURE

The world is moving forward right in front of us.

Let’s not leave our classrooms behind.

Times are changing.

Technology is driving forward at a faster rate than ever before, making things faster and smarter. Our classrooms need to step up to the times and not only teach our children in a modern way but also prepare them for a modern future.

Think about how your phone has changed, your car, how you watch movies and do your banking – all these things have transformed.

But compare a 1950’s classroom to one today and not much is different. These single cell classrooms with uniformed rows of desks do not reflect today’s modern working environment.

We need to be preparing students for a modern workspace. We need to move towards innovative and collaborative classrooms and prepare our children for tomorrow, rather than yesterday.

Scholar specialises in a wide range of innovative furniture for classrooms, libraries, school off ices and staffrooms, allowing teachers to create a modern classroom space which honours the way they teach and how students learn.

Is your school planning a move to a modern learning environment? Our specialists can provide expert advice for an easy transition, along with a broad range of exciting products to create inspiring spaces. We’ll take the time to discuss your learning vision and ideal pedagogy so we can achieve your optimum classroom space design.

box and make the most of every furniture piece and space in the classroom.

If you would like to find out more about how our products can bring new life to your classroom, get in touch with one of our specialists today.

0800 453 730 www.scholarfurniture.co.nz sales@scholarfurniture.co.nz

Scholar is a NZ owned and operated company, passionate about providing quality furniture for schools that is expertly designed and built to last.

Many of our products have multiple uses, allowing teachers to think outside the

Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

15

EDUCATION |

Principal Speaks

Transforming school culture to ensure equity and social justice Re-focusing teaching practice to being responsive, engaging and inclusive has had a huge impact on student achievement at Napier’s William Colenso College. In 2011, NCEA level two Maori achievement was at 48.6 per cent but by 2016, it was at 76.5.

Principal Daniel Murfitt explains what happened in between.

William Colenso College picked up the Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Award for Leadership, co-winners with Te Kōhanga Reo ki Rotokawa

William Colenso College celebrates being cowinner of the Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Award for Leadership. This award, Atakura, alongside being finalists in the Excellence Award in teaching and Learning, Atatū, and Excellence in Governing Award, Awatea, recognises an outstanding school culture focused on accelerating achievement and reducing disparity.

This has been achieved through focus on building powerful relationships between students, teachers and whānau, shared accountability and a responsive curriculum which offers many pathways to success.

16

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

A strong overarching feature of the school is the focus on building and fostering positive relationships with the whole school community. Many initiatives have contributed to the strong culture of wellbeing; restorative practice, culturally responsive and relational pedagogy, the vertical form structure for years ten to 13, CACTUS, the development of Te Whānau Ora as a learning and behaviour centre, PB4L, and the Manaakitanga group (Deans). Through the PB4L programme the school has also embedded the school values of manaakitanga (care and respect), whānaungatanga (belonging) and hirangatanaga (striving for excellence).

One of the greatest things is that every teacher is supportive and willing to help you succeed in school and in life. Next year I am hoping I will be accepted in EIT or Waikato University to become an occupational therapist or a social worker.”

Our head girl, Tala Utumapu, says, “I started William Colenso College in year eight and my journey at school has been amazing. There are so many opportunities at William Colenso.

Teacher collaboration is a keystone to the improved achievement in our learners. There are regular teacher meetings about the learning of groups of students and how the teachers are developing

William Colenso College is at the forefront of teaching and learning, utilising best practice, research and collaboration within to push back the barriers for our learners and provide an equitable environment for learning. Our teachers are using authentic learning experiences for our learners, and providing evidenced based programmes, which supports a positive school and community environment.

new strategies, knowledge and learning to use in the classroom.

These strategies and practices are now embedded in the school culture and practice.

Leadership and governance School leadership and governance has transformed with the change in teaching practice.

Board members are highly engaged in many aspects of the school community. They see this as an important influencing role, as they see relationships at the centre of a strong school culture.

Examples of their involvement include supporting students who are having significant family or social problems, managing sports teams, providing support at the local marae for school events, attending and supporting whānau hui, being present at school, running homework clubs,

Principal Speaks

| EDUCATION

connecting with families and whānau, and leading the parents’ association.

“We look at our programmes constantly to see how they can be more responsive to the needs of those students. Looking at things like marae catering, changing structuresof programmes; Māori tourism, which are within context of Māori tikanga and culture, taking learning to the marae.’

Daniel Murfitt, principal of William Colenso College.

‘I’ve noticed how much the teachers genuinely love and care for the students – all the students.’

– Trish Coyle, Board of Trustees

What we set out to achieve Most of our learners fall in the priority category as set by the government. They need and deserve to be at a school with excellent teachers and leaders who have their well-being and achievement at the centre of all that happens in the school. They need leaders and teachers who advocate for them and challenge deficit thinking; who work collaboratively with learners, other staff and the community; who use evidence to inform their practice and are constantly reviewing processes and structures in the school. All these actions allow the school to be responsive which enables the development of strategies to address the need for social justice and equity for our learners.

The school has delivered on its vision to transform school culture to lift Māori engagement, achievement and outcomes at the school, using a distributed leadership model to improve social justice and effect equity for all the students. Change had to be initiated so that all staff could participate in an equitable bicultural school environment.

We learned that when there is relational trust in the school between the leaders and the whole school community then there is a

true model of tuakana/teina, where roles can easily change depending on the context, experience, and knowledge of those involved. This creates leadership in others which is mana enhancing.

This collaboration is also evident in the senior leadership team.

Phil Robertshaw, SLT member says, “It’s very even and it’s not as though Daniel as principal is the boss and telling us what to do, it’s very much co-constructed.

Everyone contributes relatively equally and easily.”

Leaders in schools need to be leaders of learning where they take part authentically in professional learning and collaboration with teachers. It gives those leaders a deeper understanding and knowledge of what is happening in the classroom for individual teachers, what skills those teachers have and where support is needed. Leaders can then use their expertise to coach and advise teacher on their practice and allow the teachers to develop their leadership, and teaching and learning relationships with the students in their class.

We often have to be prepared to disrupt the status quo to allow for a more equitable and innovative school. This means it is sometimes uncomfortable, but if we can support each other and collaborate

through this change then the benefits to the outcomes for Māori (and all) will be accelerated – as is evident in our achievement data and student well-being voice.

Teacher collaboration is a keystone to the improved achievement in our learners. There are regular teacher meetings about the learning of groups of students and how the teachers are developing new strategies, knowledge and learning to use in the classroom.

These strategies and practices are now embedded in the school culture and practice.

Margaret Egan of Waikato University told us, “You are agentic, responsive, there is collaboration, you act with expertise, and you have shared expertise which is obviously based on relevant evidence.”

Our changes in practice include: •

The development of teacher agency and removal of deficit theorising

•

The development of a culturally responsive pedagogy

•

A move from traditional interactions in the classroom to more discursive interactions

•

Curriculum design and delivery that was responsive,

engaging and inclusive •

The development of teacher understanding of restorative principles and techniques to manage conflict

•

Teacher knowledge of Te Ao Māori (reo and tikanga)

•

Teachers needed to own the changes - be part of the improvement and not have it ‘done’ to them.

The BOT has seen the need for sharper disaggregated data for Māori and non-Māori, and asks questions about who is achieving and in particular how named Māori students are achieving.

“We respond to what we see in the evidence and that coherently aligns with supporting Māori students,” says deputy principal Fiona Craven.

Meetings also had to be aligned to the new culture being developed within the school. They had to be meaningful and at times when the data was available.

Data also had to be collected appropriately and stored in logical places. Everyone had to understand his or her responsibility in this data collection. SLT developed data collection plans which are reviewed and updated every year.

Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

17

EDUCATION |

Principal Speaks

Ms Craven says, “Different data has different cycles so you have NCEA data at the beginning of the year for the previous year, but you also have interim data throughout the year from about April.”

Development of restorative practices The deliberate focus on relationship building allowed for the cultural change that needed to happen in the school.

Te Kotahitanga supported this change in culture, but the implementation and development of restorative practices also had a major impact. Restorative practices were used in the school previously but only for high-end incidents whereas they are now fully imbedded into the culture and across all school systems.

“You can’t have a punitive approach with a relationship based pedagogy so a defining moment was probably our decision to go down that pathway at an accelerated rate,” says Mr Murfitt.

Financial leadership Since 2008, the college finances have progressively improved. This has been a result of ongoing review by the audit committee (set up in 2009 to review finances). The audit committee was set up to develop a leadership group to collect and analyse finances, and in particular, the impact of fluctuating income of the school. Programmes, staffing and resourcing are put under the microscope to assess the impact

18

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

Level two Māori achievement at William Colenso College 90 80 70 60

A critical measure of success is in our student achievement from 2009 to 2016.

50 40 30 20 10 0

that as senior leaders, we need to be aware of protecting the time we have for teaching and learning. Teachers would like us to reduce additional demands and interruptions.

2009

2010

2011

2012

Māori WCC

2013

All National

2014

2015

2016

Māori National

2011

2012

2013

2015

2016

Māori WCC

48.6

50

63.6

70

75

76.5

All National

68.3

70

70.8

75.4

75.8

77.4

Māori National

57.4

59.6

61.5

68.1

69.4

73.5

of the resources allocated to each area. As a result, resources have been removed from areas which have a lesser impact on student engagement and achievement, and increased in areas which have had a greater impact, for example, restorative facilitator.

In 2013, we were finalists in the Hawkes Bay Business Awards.

This provided us with both profile and recognition for the work we have put in during the last few years to ensure we are financial stable and delivering a quality educational product for both domestic and international students.

What difference did the changes make?

We have a collaborative collegial school where Māori achievement continues to improve. We have a distributed leadership model where everyone is a leader.

2014

Senior leaders have moved from individuals with set roles in the school to a collective who collaborate effectively at all times.

The pedagogical change in the classroom is evidenced by sustained improvement in student achievement at NCEA, and through shifts in teacher practice evident in Rongohia Te Hau (annual evidence collect by student survey, teacher survey, whānau survey and teacher observation).

This pedagogical and leadership change has been acknowledged internationally with Mr Murfitt attending the WISE Awards in Doha, Qatar, and by being invited to present to a range of government and indigenous groups in Saskatchewan, Canada.

We are constantly reviewing our practice and are aware that feedback from the 2016 survey is

William Colenso College now has strong structures and institutions in place that all align with the strategic direction of improving outcomes for Māori. Our inquiry cycles at the three levels, individual, department and school wide provide us with evidence to continue with our pathway and self-review. They allow us to build on our practice and continually improve the way we do things.

Through our strong self-review process we are constantly looking at improvement – we will never get to the ‘end.’

We give our students an environment where it is comfortable to be Māori. They do not need to change when they walk through the school gates.

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini.

My strength is not mine alone, but comes from the many. My successes are not due to my own efforts but are the result of input from many others.

William Colenso College is a coeducational high school in Napier.

Of the 420 students, 64 per cent identify as Maori, 16 per cent as New Zealand European, and ten per cent as Pasifika.

By Daniel Murfitt, Principal, William Colenso College

Upskilling

| TEACHERS' DESK

Which PLD will improve your school’s outcomes?

The science of teaching continues to evolve and identify new ways to get through to students, but that’s not the only reason professional development is important.

Teachers also need to be able to prepare their students to succeed in a changing world — they need to be able to teach students how to use emerging technologies, how to navigate evolving workplaces, how to communicate effectively, and how to think critically and solve problems. The more professional learning development (PLD) teachers get, the more likely students are to succeed.

In New Zealand, everything about PLD for teachers is changing - what it’s focussed on, who delivers it, and how schools,

kura and Kāhui Ako can access it. According to the Ministry of Education (MOE), these changes are to shift focus to national priority areas, use regional knowledge more effectively, and to build and support strong leadership. “To ensure PLD is more responsive to the needs of schools and kura they are able to apply for PLD throughout the year with panels meeting termly to consider proposals,” says Ellen MacGregor-Reid, deputy secretary, Early Learning and Student Achievement.

Priority areas The MOE has identified priority areas for the next three to five years as maths/pāngarau, science/pūtaiao, te reo, literacy and digital fluency. However, this does not mean that support will be available only in these

areas. Teachers will also be able to access centrally-funded PLD for areas identified as being necessary for lifting outcomes.

Schools may decide that PLD in culturally responsive practices, for example, will improve outcomes.

Accessing PLD There are two ways to start the PLD process: your local education advisor may contact you to advise that you are eligible for PLD support, or you can apply yourself if you have identified an achievement challenge that matches criteria. There are a number of avenues of support

for the proposal process, such as your local MOE advisor or a PLD facilitator.

PLD delivery If your PLD is to be centrally funded, the first step towards finding your provider is to check the Ministry’s online resource list.

If you are self-funding, there is a wider list of facilitators available, also listed online.

Leadership There is also a push for building and strengthening leadership in schools.

Supplier Profile | Lincoln University

Lincoln University helping secondary schools make step up to scholarship level Lincoln University lecturers are working with secondary students and their teachers to ensure scholarships in accounting can be achieved.

Financial and Business Systems department head at Lincoln, Dr Tracy-Anne De Silva, says scholarship accounting topics do not all align with the NCEA level three curriculum.

“Given the differences in the syllabus of NCEA level three accounting and scholarship accounting, there is a need for teachers and students to be supported through the scholarship accounting exam,” says Dr De Silva.

The department runs workshops in Canterbury to provide guidance and resources for the students sitting the scholarship exam, and professional development for the teachers.

The workshops are a mixture of lecturing, discussion and working through tasks and scenarios. They also give students a taste

“

We want to let secondary school students know about the accounting and finance careers that are available through study at Lincoln, while at the same time helping students be successful with their scholarship exam.”

of what Lincoln, and the subject area has to offer.

Dates for 2018 workshops will be available at lincoln.ac.nz at the end of the school Term 1 (April 2018).

If you’re interested in learning more or would like to know when dates are released, please contact Dr Tracy-Anne De Silva at tracy-anne.desilva@lincoln. ac.nz.

Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

19

TEACHERS' DESK |

Upskilling

Distance learning Another big shift is towards distance learning with many teachers completing PLD remotely, particularly at the postgraduate diploma level.

One of the priorities for the Education Council’s Centre of Leadership Excellence this year has been facilitating the development of a leadership strategy for the New Zealand education profession, with the profession, to provide a framework for building capability and revitalising education leadership.

The Council has used an iterative process, including working with academics, teachers, leaders, Māori medium teachers and leaders, government agencies and education organisations.

Draft is expected to be ready for consultation this month through to March 18.

Leadership coach Tony Burkin, from InterLEAD, says some of the most effective leaders start by realising that they are a part of most problems - and therefore part of the solutions. Whilst it is easy to focus on others or other “things”, they courageously take the path of focusing on changing their own thinking, assumptions and behaviours first. They deliberately make themselves the project, not their organisation or other people.

“Teachers and leaders work within a daily whirlwind. The “day

20

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

job” for educators is incredibly complex, sucking vast amounts of time and energy away from undertaking deep work; of being meta-cognitively introspective.

The downside of limited, high quality time to evaluate one’s own effectiveness is the risk of becoming trapped within a way of thinking but without realising it; of becoming ‘blind'.

“Our choices and decisions are usually the sum result of prior experience and the personal knowledge bank we accrue over time. But if we are never required to question our beliefs we can have blind spots – or have an unconscious bias – and it’s this which can undermine our ability to be effective because we start to make poorer decisions without realising it.”

Future focused learning Today’s students are fully at ease with digital technology, it’s the grown-ups around them who are having to make adjustments.

“Understanding how to use digital technologies in the classroom in a relevant and integrated approach is essential if we are to equip our young people with the skills they

need to live, work and thrive in the world,” says Lynley Schofield from the Mind Lab by Unitec.

“It is critical that teachers and students alike can navigate and learn in a digital landscape and be a part of the technological world.

To stay abreast of the changes in education and the world we need to commit to new ways of learning, new practices and new pedagogies.”

The importance of future focused learning has been underlined by the recently announced curriculum changes to include two new subject areas: computational thinking and designing and developing digital outcomes.

More than half of the $40 million earmarked for “enhancing digital literacy” in schools is being put towards teacher professional learning and development.

“Teachers need to take this opportunity to empower themselves and their students and lead change in their schools by embracing new ideas and tools, and using digital technologies in collaborative ways to enhance their practice and the experience of the students,” says Ms Schofield.

This is very much a trend at Otago University which offers distance learning for all postgraduate programmes. Most are based in New Zealand but some are as far away as England, Peru and China. “People are realising the value of upgrading qualifications while working, and the flexibility of time and place offered by our asynchronous distance programmes makes this possible,” says Dr Keryn Pratt, postgraduate and distance coordinator at the university.

Students are also able to take papers from outside education.

“A number of our students, for example, take advantage of the synergies of the distance offerings of Te Tumu, School of Māori , Pacific and Indigenous Studies,” says Dr Pratt.

Some PLD even includes a module for NCEA students. Staff at Lincoln University identified a gap in level three accounting, noting that it did not align with scholarship accounting topics, so offers workshops to bridge the gap. The workshops, three a year held at schools and on campus, provide guidance and resources for the students sitting the scholarship exam, and professional development for the teachers.

Upskilling

| TEACHERS' DESK

supplier profile UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO

Postgraduate study at the University of Otago College of Education The University of Otago College of Education is New Zealand’s oldest teacher education provider, and is ranked top in Education research.

We offer a range of postgraduate programmes at the diploma, masters and doctoral level specifically designed for those who are already experienced teachers.

These programmes are designed to give you the opportunity to challenge yourself, gain in-depth knowledge and unlock further career opportunities. And the best part? Our programmes are available by distance, on campus, full-time or part-time, to suit whatever works best for your needs.

From top left clockwise, Assoc Prof David Bell, Dr Gill Rutherford, Dr David Berg, Dr Alex Gunn.

Meet some of our Postgraduate supervisors: DR DAVID BERG David is an experienced primary school teaching, having taught both in New Zealand and around the world. He teaches at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and his areas of research are

Initial teacher education, efficacy beliefs, teaching and learning, international education, and formative assessment.

education, disability studies, disabled students’ experiences of school, and teacher aides’ role in education.

DR ALEX GUNN Alex is an experienced early childhood education teacher and teaches at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level. Alex’s research focuses on Early Childhood Education, inclusive education and social justice. She is interested in teachers’ beliefs and practices, and in how the things we do in education come to reflect and produce taken-for-granted norms.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR DAVID BELL David’s background is in secondary school art and art history teaching. He continues to research and teach in this area, and takes an active role in secondary art education curriculum review, and in the development of assessment for art history with the Ministry of Education.

DR GILL RUTHERFORD Gill is a former high school teacher.

Her area of expertise is inclusive teaching, and she has won the Otago University Students’ Association Teaching Excellence Award for Most Inclusive Teacher more than five times. Her research interests are inclusive

There are over 30 academic staff members who supervise postgraduate research at the University of Otago College of Education, with a range of expertise in different sectors and curriculum areas. For a full list of staff please see otago.ac.nz/ education

Postgraduate

Study anywhere with the University of Otago College of Education Improve your knowledge and career opportunities with postgraduate study. We have a range of distance programmes specifically designed for teachers.

otago.ac.nz/education education@otago.ac.nz

Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

21

TEACHERS' DESK |

Upskilling

supplier profile INTERLEAD

Professional Development and Personal Practice

BY DR PHIL RAMSEY

How do you make professional development meaningful? How do you ensure that it makes a real difference to what teachers actually do?

And that the new things teachers do as a result of PD are things that make a real difference for learners?

These are challenging questions that InterLEAD has wrestled with since we started working in the area of PD over 20 years ago. Part of the challenge is that, because they are human, school leaders and teachers have to deal with the natural ‘blind spot’ of PD: dealing with our personal contributions to the problems we face.

Imagine this scene. You are driving

22

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

this. It is a change of perspective that takes me off the side line and puts me into the game.

to an important meeting when, unexpectedly, the traffic stops.

The roads are clogged with cars and no one is moving. Realising you are going to be late you phone ahead and say…what?

Commonly, in this situation people say something like “I’m stuck in traffic”. But what do we mean by traffic? Usually it means, those

other drivers in those other cars: they are the problem.

Not many people will look at the situation and say “I am traffic.”

But doing so changes our view and opens up new possibilities.

Realising I am part of the problem is empowering. It also suggests that if I find a way to work with others I might avoid situations like

When InterLEAD started working with school leaders it was easy to unintentionally encourage the side line perspective, because it resonated with people’s tendency to blame others rather than look at themselves. Leaders would happily enrol in courses with titles like Dealing with Difficult Personalities or Overcoming Change Resisters; titles that imply to leaders that “You’d be great if only they weren’t so difficult and resistant.” The reality for leaders is that the most difficult person each of us deals with every day is the person we see in the bathroom mirror in the morning.

While it may be uncomfortable, if you want to make a real difference, look for PD that will transform—not those annoying other people—but you.

Upskilling

| TEACHERS' DESK

supplier profile THE MIND LAB BY UNITEC

Upskilling our teachers, building our future Education is a lifelong journey. It doesn’t stop once our degree is completed and we’ve begun a career. To commit to always improving knowledge and skills is to constantly gain perspective and become more proficient in our line of work.

Upskilling is important in every sector, but it’s especially important when it comes to education because education is where we build our future, says Dr David Parsons, The Mind Lab by Unitec National Postgraduate Director.

“It’s important teachers have an understanding of the worlds in which their students will eventually be seeking to build their personal and working lives. It’s also important that teachers maintain

broader perspectives on pedagogy, social change and educational leadership,” David says.

their motivation and interest in their profession and subject areas because they need to continue to inspire their students,” David says.

Professional development can lead educators to discover new teaching strategies and subject matter, which can then be implemented in schools and classrooms to improve the learning and experience for students, Thomas R. Guskey writes in Redesigning Professional Development.

David says The Mind Lab by Unitec’s Postgraduate Certificate

The KIND of teaching

NICK now LIVES BY...

in Applied Practice (Digital & Collaborative Learning) gives educators a new perspective on their own practice, as well as the tools and understanding to change their pedagogy to be more collaborative, student-centred and satisfying.

“The postgrad programme provides a range of opportunities for upskilling teachers including coding, robotics, design thinking and agile approaches. Some aspects are specific to technologies and techniques but there are also

According to David, teachers who take the programme are able to take what they experience and learn in the sessions directly back to their own classrooms. He says those on the programme comment that they’re able to change their practice in an incremental way, which over time leads to completely new approaches to their classroom practice.

“Our programme is fundamentally based on applying new pedagogies, technologies and collaborative approaches, and we put the teaching and learning experience at the core of what we do. Our sessions model the types of best practice that we endeavour to teach,” David says.

To find out more about The Mind Lab visit www.themindlab.com/ postgrad-studies

MEET THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE MOVEMENT.

BECOME ONE.

FACESOFCHANGE.CO.NZ

Nick Shaw

Prospect School

Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

23

PROFILES |

Te Akau ki Papamoa

Te Akau ki Papamoa School, where everyone’s winning From the outside, Te Akau ki Papamoa is indistinguishable from most other state primary schools in New Zealand.

It’s once you step in the door, that the magic happens…

like that before and I’ve never seen one since,” he says. At that time, Jepsen was digging the school out of crisis. He’d been hired to effect change at a school that was broke and in which 90 per cent of the students were underachieving.

“We had a toxic culture and I had to get very brave, we had to go through a lot of crap.”

I first heard of Te Akau ki Papamoa in reference to Apple education. It’s an Apple Distinguished School (ADS), one of only three in New Zealand, and that piqued my curiosity mostly because I’d never heard of such a thing.

According to Apple, an ADS is “a centre of leadership and educational excellence that demonstrates our vision of exemplary learning environments”.

Apple products are used to “inspire student creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking, and leadership cultivates environments in which students are excited about learning”.

It turns out that Te Akau ki Papamoa was doing all this long before they heard the term Apple Distinguished School. They were busy getting on with the

Jepsen knew that prioritising Māori learners - 40 per cent of the roll - was essential. “For far too long Māori have been a disproportionate group of underachievers in our country and I don’t accept that. What would we say if 60 per cent of Pakeha children were not achieving? I don’t believe we would accept that.” job of teaching local kids when Apple representatives visited and pointed out that the school’s innovative work met the criteria for ADS status, a global award that recognises the application of technology to improve student achievement. The school applied and the rest is history.

However, after a day at the school, it is clear to me that the magic

Since iPads were introduced, students are writing at twice the rate and quality that they did previously

24

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

lies not with the technology, but with the stellar leadership team guided by principal Bruce Jepsen.

He’s a big bear of a man, bursting with energy and enthusiasm, all the more remarkable given his journey with the school. In a nutshell, it’s been one hell of a ride from bankruptcy and wide-scale underachievement to excellence at an international level.

As we head to his office, a sign lights up over a closed door next to reception: the school radio station is on air. Cultural leader Tane Bennett is at the controls, ready to deliver a te reo lesson. The clock ticks towards broadcast time and Bennett’s screen is flooded with messages from the students tuning in – “I’m listening!” “I’m excited!” “I am happy it’s te reo time” they tell him via their iPads. Bennett reaches for his guitar and leads the children through waiata before getting stuck into today’s language lesson. “Kei te pēhea te ahua o Tāwhirimatea? What’s the weather doing?”he asks. Children phone in from their classrooms, eager to share their te reo on air.

Bennett joined the school seven years ago after answering an ad for an assistant principal passionate about lifting Māori achievement. “I’d never seen an ad

When Bennett joined the team, he observed a sense of uncertainty amongst students and parents in identifying themselves as Māori.

“They wouldn’t fill out the ethnicity question on the enrolment form.

Schools had failed them in the past and they weren’t proud of who they were. I’d have to explain that children have to be strong in their identity and feel good in who they are before they can learn.

Children with high self-esteem achieve while children with low self-esteem are hard work in the classroom.

“We work hard to make connections. When a new child enrols, I’ll ask them where they’re from then I’ll go to my map which has all iwi marked on it and match them up with ten children from the same area. It gives them an instant connection, they feel as though they belong. We call it, know me before you teach me.”

Next Bennett harnessed the use of the radio station. “At first we were only using it to play songs across the school, but with Māori Language Week coming we decided to broadcast the days of the week in te reo. The teachers loved it because the pressure wasn’t on them to get the pronunciation right, and everyone was learning through listening and speaking.”

Te Akau ki Papamoa

| PROFILES

In time, broadcasts from 107.6FM became lengthier and more frequent, and te reo became normalised within the school. In 2014, Te Akau won the education award from Te Taura Whiri I te Reo Māori /Māori Language Commission for use of te reo in a mainstream setting.

All 688 students are involved in a kapa haka group.

Ninety per cent of students are achieving at levels at or above expectations well-being bell rang at 5pm and no-one is allowed to stay any later.

Bennett says this is just the beginning. “One day, I’d like our children to be able to speak Māori at the shops, to order a latte in Māori. In the meantime, I’d like our teachers to gain accreditation for teaching and learning te reo in the same way we have gained accreditation as Apple teachers.”

All Te Akau teachers are Apple teachers, and all digital equipment is fully funded by the school.

Every child is issued with an iPad on their first day. Programs and educational apps are made in-house by teachers and personalised to suit individual student’s needs.

The school’s digital programme has stepped up a notch since the appointment of assistant principal and IT whizz, Paula Jamieson.

One of Te Akau’s five Apple Distinguished Educators (there are only 27 in New Zealand), Jamieson is such a frequent contributor to iTunes U that her multi touch books are fast-tracked, appearing on site within 24 hours of submission.

Jepsen says that the moderate learner has a far greater engagement and access to the curriculum through the use of technologies. “We understood this when we started the programme, but we didn’t expect that we’d have double the output of physical writing with a pen than pre 1:1 digital or that the quality of the writing would be double.”

Ten years into Jepsen’s leadership, Te Akau ki Papamoa is a very different school to the one he inherited. In fact, achievement levels have been reversed - 90 per cent of students perform at

Every student is issued with an iPad the day they start at the school levels at or above expectation, an extraordinary upswing.

The previously leaky buildings are shipshape, the books are in order and the respect between children and teachers is palpable.

It’s the quietest school in which I’ve ever set foot and there’s a vibe of professionalism akin to that of a slick business operation - welcoming and highly efficient, not a moment to be wasted.

With engagement and achievement nailed, Te Akau is ready for new goals. “I think we’re going to see a far greater use of our maker space and our science curriculum, and more focus on developing thinking skill sets,” says Jepsen.

from three to seven, the ethnic composition is unchanged; 45 per cent New Zealand European, 40 per cent Maori, six per cent Indian.

“Historically people would look either side of us, but now they want their children here,” says deputy principal Sharron AdamsDavis. “We have the highest attendance rates across the region; our learners want to be here.” I can well believe it. Heck, I’m not a kid or a teacher, but I wanted to go again the next day. I would have stayed longer but the

Two features of Te Akau strike me as quintessentially Kiwi: a pathway leading from the playground to the white sands of Papamoa Beach, and the huge mural above the stage in the hall. Created by senior students, the mural depicts the school’s vision, Leading me to lead my learning. The central panel is the waka, the vehicle of learning in which learners, kaiako, whānau, trustees and community are paddling together. The school’s history, heritage and locality are all referenced in the pictorial pepeha.

Says Jepsen: “When our learners know who they are and where they come from, they feel connected - and that’s when we can unleash their potential.”

Te Akau ki Papamoa is a decile seven, English medium state primary school in Tauranga, years one to six, with a current roll of 688.

By Anna Clements, Editor

“Bruce is a visionary leader,” says maker space leader Jamieson. “He has huge faith in the staff, leading alongside and not from the top.

The culture here is fantastic, there’s nowhere I’d rather work.”

The roll has doubled since Jepsen’s arrival, in part because of the huge population growth in Papamoa but also because Te Akau is now a school of choice.

And although decile has risen Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

25

y d n a d l o o c d o l approve e v r a m n e e k t u o t s u j d n a m e h g groovy ind u o s t n e c e r r a l u p o p y h c a e p b neat nifty a f l o o c e t u n i m e h t o t p u y d super tren JUICIES FUNDRAISER PACKS Looking for a healthier fundraiser that’s easy to manage and run? Juicies are a popular product that kids (and parents) love and are made from freshly-pressed apples blended with fruits, berries and very little else. Collect the money before placing your order and make $2 or more on each pack sold. These Juicies 10-packs have been designed with school fundraising in mind and each pack contains a neoprene holder. Juicies are 100% natural, with no added sugar and have a 5-star health rating. Download a Sellers Pack from the website today which has all you need to get started.

C

Tasman Bay Food Group

P

0800 148 276

W

www.juicies.co.nz

E

sales@tasmanbay.co.nz

JARI ACTIVSTOOL With a rotating convex base Jari forms one leg of a stable tripod, your own legs provide the other two parts. That means you are constantly flexing, adjusting and moving; the ideal way to stay focused and concentrate. But the coolest thing about the Jari Activstool is that it is height adjustable. That means it fits a huge range of students and just about any application. Other features include: Durable, fabric covered convex seat pad, Pneumatic cylinder button, Light weight and durable polypropylene seat frame and base with under-seat grip handles for easy transport and Slip-resistant TPE base pad that provides stability during dynamic sitting.

305mm wide x 400-490mm high.

C

Distinction Furniture

P

09 523 4092

W

www.distinction.net.nz

THE BERNINA L450 OVERLOCKER

SANTA MANAGED TO PULL THIS OUT OF STOCKING! Is your school looking to transform an existing space? Give your teachers the best tools to create an enhanced and reinvigorated environment. A Potter Interior Systems, Vision whiteboard storage cabinet will help re-organise the room with style. The best magnetic porcelain whiteboards, with the added benefit of additional shelving and secure storage behind the boards. You can configure the lower half of the unit to suit the room using cubes, totes, shelving, or lockable doors. There are so many choices in design and colour, let us price this quick, simple room changer today! This can be done in no time.

C

26

Potter Interior Systems

P

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

0800 POTTERS

W

www.potters.co.nz

The BERNINA L450 overlocker is the perfect companion to your classroom sewing machines. Innovative features make BERNINA overlockers easy to use, with professional stitch quality, and the durability needed in the classroom. The BERNINA L450 is fantastic for knit and woven fabrics. It has easy and ergonomic threading with the colour-coded threading path, and a well-lit large sewing space. The differential feed means wave-free seams in knits and pucker-free seams in fine fabrics, as well as the ability to ruff le and gather automatically. Contact us for our exclusive schools only price list.

C E

BERNINA NZ

P

0800 237 646

schools@bernina.co.nz

W

www.bernina.com

| WHAT'S HOT

COMPACT TRACTOR, BIG PERFORMANCE Available with loader, mower and backhoe options, Massey Ferguson’s GC1700 is the ideal machine for a wide variety of tasks and business operations. Designed to make light work of big jobs, the MF GC1700 Series delivers across the board performance - from easy operation and greater comfort to reducing fatigue, improving safety and maximising productivity. Their compact size and versatile handling mean they’re ideal for contractors, landscapers and groundscare applications with engines ranging up to 24.5 hp and unmatched versatility. The MF GC1700 is easy to drive, and can handle everything from mowing, lifting, pulling, and more. So if you’re workload demands a real tractor, check out the Massey Ferguson GC1700 Series. It delivers on every job, every time.

C W E

AGCO

P

0800 825 872

www.masseyferguson.co.nz anzmarketing@agcocorp.com

NEW PANASONIC MZ670 LASER 3LCD PROJECTOR Announcing the NEW Panasonic MZ670 Laser 3LCD Projector, which will be available from January 2018! With interchangeable lenses, the MZ670 is ideal for a meeting room or a classroom, and you can project onto a curved or specially shaped screen using the Geometric adjustment option.

The ambient light sensor automatically detects the level of light and adjusts the brightness of an image to make it clearly visible in dark or bright rooms, now that’s clever!

C E

Panasonic NZ

P

09 272 0100

W

www.panasonic.co.nz

darryl.yate@nz.panasonic.com

MICROLENE DAIRY – WATER TREATMENT UNIT

FILA LINKING CHAIR Brand new to the market, the Fila Linking Chair is as versatile and durable as they come. This affordable all-purpose chair is ideal for education environments.

If you need to quickly set-up large numbers of seats for assemblies and events, Fila is perfect for fast set-up and pack down. Unique to Fila are its ready-link legs which makes connecting the chairs a simple, swift process. These legs are designed to interlock with each other in seconds without any tools or extra brackets.

Overlapping legs appear as a single leg to reduce visual clutter. – Stackable to 10 chairs high.

Transport trolley also available. $145 +gst

C W

Scholar Furniture

P

Microlene Dairy is not just for Farms. This Water Treatment unit is perfect for rural schools requiring treated water for everyday use and consumption. This solution will be engineered to meet your specific requirements, is contained in its own compact housing making instillation quick and easy. A number of these are being used around the country with fantastic results. Please be sure to call us today to discuss your requirements as we are only more than happy to help.

0800 453 730

www.scholarfurniture.co.nz

E

sales@scholarfurniture.co.nz

C W

Davey Water Products New Zealand www.daveynz.co.nz

E

P

021 873 421

rbarker@dwp.co.nz

Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

27

TEACHING RESOURCES |

E-Learning

Choosing technology tools to support teaching, not replace it The choice of devices, gadgets, programs and apps purported to aid learning can be overwhelming. Which e-learning tools will work best for your school?

Schools in New Zealand vary widely in their approach to e-learning. Some consider use of digital technologies essential to increasing quality of education and equity for students, while others adopt a more conservative approach. There are neighbouring schools, drawing from the same communities, with radically different outlooks; so that where one is providing devices to students at a ratio of one-toone, the other may not even be considering an optional BYOD programme.

Whatever your school’s outlook,

from next January and is expected to be in full use from 2020.

So far, $40 million has been allocated to supporting schools to implement the new subjects, including $24 million to upskill more than 40,000 teachers.

Another $7 million will be spent on developing online learning and exams, video and audio streaming content and apps.

the reality is that e-learning is the way it’s going. NZQA’s external moderation service will be fully online by 2019, and by 2020 all NCEA external examinations will be online.

Added to this is the biggest change to the core curriculum in ten years: the inclusion of “computational thinking” and “developing digital outcomes” for all learners in years one to ten. Content is available

For evidence of the success of e-learning, look no further than Manaiakalani, an e-learning and literacy strategy used in five clusters of low decile schools around New Zealand. In 2012, one of its schools, Tamaki College, became New Zealand’s first state secondary school to go fully digital with all 600 students getting netbooks. That year, the college doubled its NCEA level two results for Māori and Pasifika students. And around the country,

An online reading hook Ziptales is an online literacy resource designed specifically to get children hooked on reading.

The extensive content - more than 300 stories, poems and puzzles - has been commissioned from authors all

over the world, and arranged in genre categories for all levels of the New Zealand curriculum.

Founders Valerie and Richard McRoberts say they set up Ziptales to give children access to authentic literature so they could learn to love reading rather than being forced to read a text.

“If the children don’t enjoy the reading, they’re not going to get it. The reward for reading needs to be intrinsic.”

Content includes deliberate categories for reluctant readers such as Scary, Yucky and True Tales, and all stories have voiceover to promote oral language development.

Schools can access Ziptales

28

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

firstly through a 30-day trial and then through purchase of an annual licence.

Regular professional development sessions are included.

The program can be accessed on all devices and includes online worksheets which can be completed at home.

E-Learning

| TEACHING RESOURCES

Reducing cost and weight with online workbooks Manaiakalani primary schools are recording rates of improvement for reading, writing and numeracy that exceed national averages.

Funding for the programme is provided by schools, families and donations. Families buy their child’s device at $3.50 a week for three years, and philanthropists fund wireless internet access into their homes.

All New Zealand schools have access to Ministry of Education (MOE) initiatives supporting the move to widespread e-learning.

These include provision of indepth professional development, and help for schools wanting to streamline systems and make online content easier to find, share and create.

The Ministry has also committed to increasing provision of assistive technologies and to

using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles when developing new resources so that no adaptations are required for students with disabilities.

The main online resource for teachers is the MOE’s site, Enabling e-learning. The site offers a definition of e-learning as being, “learning and teaching that is facilitated by or supported through the appropriate use of information and communication technologies (ICTs)”.

“That word ‘appropriate’ is the key,” says e-learning consultant Karen Melhuish Spencer. “It’s important to identify students' strengths and needs in terms of the curriculum then design learning experiences using effective pedagogy. Select technology that will support or enhance this - rather than choosing the technology first.

The development every book-lugging student has been waiting for is here, the e-workbook.

Sigma Publications, publishers of Action English and Dragon Maths workbooks, are launching their content into cyberspace following a successful year-long trial at Tauranga Boys’ College.

The Action English workbooks, designed for students in years three to ten, is now available in PDF by license to schools.

Samples are available on the publisher’s website.

Sigma spokesman Keith Busch says the advantages are manifold: “For a start, the cost is going to come down to under half, and accuracy

is improved because we can respond to curriculum changes much more quickly.

It also means that students don’t have to carry heavy workbooks as well as their devices.” However, the books will continue to be available in print form so as not to exclude any students without access to an electronic device.

www.ziptales.com

Everything you want when reading matters most Blended learning .... a teacher moderated resource designed to make reading a pleasure, not a chore, and with 155 explicit lessons on key English concepts.

Take a day FREE 30 day TRIAL to

Just one single login to make your life easier! www.ziptales.com

admin@ziptales.com

Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

29

TEACHING RESOURCES |

E-Learning

quality learning opportunities that improve student engagement and achievement.

E-learning has the potential to transform the way teaching and learning takes place.

It is about using technologies effectively across the curriculum to connect schools and communities and to provide accessible, relevant, and highquality learning opportunities so that every student is better able to achieve their full potential.

“Whatever the technology - and

delivery or the functionality of a

it’s really hard for us to keep up

particular technology, but forms

so we need to hold the most

part of a conscious choice of the

important idea in our minds - the

best and most appropriate ways

learning is the vital element.

of promoting effective learning.

E-learning is not simply

“Best practice e-learning enables

associated with modes of

accessible, relevant, and high-

“Increasingly, as access to technologies for individual students becomes a reality, the value proposition for us in terms of e-learning is that we can offer learning pathways that are increasingly tailored to students needs and that are far more inclusive than we might have been able to manage before.”

For instance, e-learning may: •

assist the making of connections by enabling students to enter and explore new learning environments, overcoming barriers of distance and time

•

facilitate shared learning by enabling students to join or create communities of learners that extend well beyond the classroom

•

assist in the creation of supportive learning environments by offering resources that take account of individual, cultural, or developmental differences

•

enhance opportunities to learn by offering students virtual experiences and tools that save them time, allowing them to take their learning further.

Improving reading fluency with a personalised program A student’s facility to engage successfully with the academic curriculum in all subject areas is very dependent on good reading comprehension.

30

comprehension level gain while improving in reading fluency by more than 100 words per minute,” says John Kennedy from program distributors The IT Education Co (ITEC).

Silent reading is the most used, yet least instructed aspect of reading comprehension as historically it has been difficult to measure.

"We are very excited by the results. We have not experienced rates of improvements such as these before,” says Melanie Kindley, from Mission Heights Junior College.

Educators can now place students on personalised silent reading pathways that develop and analyse more than 20 aspects of reading comprehension using the

ITEC recommends Lexia Reading Core5 for years one to six 6 foundational reading skills, and Symphony Math for numeracy development and math remediation.

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

e-learning resource Reading Plus for ages nine to 18. “Data from a sample size of 5000+ New Zealand students last

year showed that students who had read 100 stories from the Reading Plus library averaged a two year reading

E-Learning

Technology to support teaching, not replace it During the past few years, teacher and parents have been deluged with new technological options for teaching, particularly for literacy and language teaching.

A vast array of apps and programmes have appeared, many quite flashy looking and impressive sounding.

However, there are several key principles to bear in mind when using technology.

•

| TEACHING RESOURCES

Literacy for every learner

A good program will also analyse each learner’s performance and create individualised reinforcement, as well as analytics for remedial and class teachers.

These are the key points of the New Zealand-developed literacy program, StepsWeb, which provides structured courses, but also the facility to create your own materials.

•

Technology needs to supplement and support teaching, not replace it.

You can enter any word, include a sentence and definition, and then record the word yourself – in any text-based language.

•

A well-designed programme should enable each learner to progress at his or her own speed

In this way, you can customise the programme to an individual learner or adapt it to support any aspect of the curriculum.

• • • • • • •

The only NZ-developed online literacy programme Used in over 900 schools worldwide Structured, multi-sensory and research-based Caters for English and Māori Work on any device – from any location Diagnostic facilities and individualized reinforcement Structured courses – or create your own materials

The Learning Staircase Ltd info@learningstaircase.co.nz 0800 701 107 www.stepsweb.com

Interactive Workbooks

New Zealand’s Best Selling

Action English Workbooks AVAILABLE AS PDFs IN 2018 FOR BYO DEVICE CLASSES Chapters Cover : word classes punctuation language skills dictionary skills spelling skills comprehension research skills and more book files for Years 3 to 10

!

O

RphoTneIuTs LE E P 0 0 .

NLY $6 ditions apply n

some co

For information on School User Licenses phone 0800 274 462 or visit ‘ebooks’ on our website

www.sigmapublications.co.nz

Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

31

TEACHING RESOURCES |

Soft Material Technology

Kitting out the soft materials room

Sewing, now known as soft materials technology, is as popular as ever, and advances in furniture design and room set up make the lessons more enjoyable for today’s learners.

Seamstress and sewing teacher Jo Ashcroft shares her insights into soft materials equipment.

“Many schools buy very expensive electronic machines but the machines I use are all mechanical, not electronic, and very simple. For most school sewing projects the students only need straight stitch, zigzag, some form of stretch stitch and a way of making button holes.

“Mechanical machines take less troubleshooting as most problems arise from either the threading or the bobbin and once you train the kids to deal with that, then the teacher can get on with teaching and not troubleshooting.

“It’s useful to have all the machines the same so that they can share feet; you need an ordinary foot, a zipper foot and some form of buttonhole foot as a minimum. One high school I go to has three generations of one brand and each generation takes different feet!

“As students become more experienced and start to sew knit

32

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

Some new technology labs have been very thoughtfully planned fabric, access to an overlocker is useful, but this isn’t essential for beginners.

“Sewing machines haven’t actually changed very much through the decades apart from the addition of the automatic threader. I usually end up threading machines for the younger kids. Invariably my younger students pick my older machines to use (Edna is my oldest at about 30 years old) as they are the simplest.

All of the schools I teach in have their machines around the edge of the room on benches. This is a space saving technique as you generally spend the least amount of time at the machine during a lesson. One school has folding desks hinged at the wall

which hold one machine, the desk being held up by one leg when raised-personally I think that’s a health and safety nightmare! Also sewing machines are quite heavy.

I’d rather they stayed in one place as much as possible.

“Table space is far more important. Tables at the correct height so you can stand or sit at a stool to lay out fabric, draw patterns, and cut. All cutting, pinning, preparation and unpicking should happen at a table, not at the machine. One school I teach at has a mix of high tables and regular ones, whilst the others only have high ones. High is better especially if you have a larger number of students all trying to cut out or pattern draft at once.

Credit: Rototuna Senior High School “You also need access to ironing boards and irons; I always say that the iron is more important than the sewing machine as it allows for a more professional finish. I spend more time at the ironing board than I do anywhere else in the sewing room. One school I teach in has three ironing boards which is brilliant.

“Access to sewing tools is important too, clearly labelled and easily accessible storage for scissors (fabric and paper), pins, thread, bobbins, seam rippers etc.

And not all in the same placeimagine 30 teenagers all heading for the pins at the same time!

Magnetic pin cushions rather than saucers (yes, tea saucers) that I see in some schools.'

By Anna Clements, Editor

Technology Room Equipment

| TEACHING RESOURCES

Sewing machines to last the distance BERNINA, a name synonymous with sewing, has been supplying sewing machines to schools in New Zealand since the 1960s - “and some of those machines are still working today!” says Glyn Singleton, managing director of BERNINA New Zealand.

“Schools tell us they love it, it’s at a fantastic price point, while offering extra features above and beyond what the older classroom machines have.

It’s very easy to use, while being durable.”

Today, the BERNINA 330, an entry level machine with “a touch of luxury” is very popular with school technology departments.

“Schools tell us they love it, it’s at a fantastic price point, while offering extra features above and beyond what the older classroom machines have. It’s very easy to use, while being durable.”

The machine’s memory

And the ultra-high contrast

needle threader, automatic

function is particularly useful

LCD display lets you keep

buttonhole and securing stitch

for classes as it saves required

track of what you are doing.

function save you time and

stitch combinations for the

The start/stop button and slide

allow you to sew, quilt, and

next class.

speed control, semi-automatic

patchwork professionally.

Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

33

TEACHING RESOURCES |

Te Reo

Kapa haka in mainstream schools - Affirming Māori students as Māori Tēnā koutou katoa. He uri nō Koterana e mihi nei. Ko Benechie te maunga. Ko Dee te awa. Ko North te moana. Engari, he Māori āku tamariki, nō Ngāti Awa. Aku taura here ki te kaupapa o te reo Māori me te mātauranga Māori ko rātou ko āku mokopuna.

Ko Alice Patrick tōku ingoa.

In many of our mainstream schools, kapa haka thrives – and is popular with students from diverse cultures. The large number of students involved is a measure of its success. Kapa haka provides a learning environment that celebrates Māori culture and what it means to be Māori. It represents he taonga tuku iho i.e. something that is handed down inter-generationally – to be valued and treasured.

It is a vehicle to appreciate te reo Māori me ōna tikanga, contributing to the retention and revitalisation of the language and its associated culture. At the same time, students are learning life skills, by having to demonstrate commitment and self-discipline. There are cognitive and physical benefits too – in terms of memorisation and coordination. Students also benefit from the values associated with being part of a group for example, whakawhanaungatanga (building relationships), manaakitanga (looking after each other) and aroha (love).

Te Kapa Haka o Rototuna from Rototuna Senior High School

Benefits for Māori students In her Master’s research exploring the effect of kapa haka on Māori students, Rubie found that there were multiple benefits for those involved in kapa haka; namely: •

increased knowledge of their language, culture, and heritage (including ngā reo ā-iwi i.e. regional variations of te reo Māori)

•

improved confidence and self esteem

•

enhanced motivation for learning (including reading, writing and visual language through action songs and haka)

•

more positive feelings about school life

Te Kapa Haka o Rototuna from Rototuna Senior High School

34

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

•

Image credit: Anna Pratt, Rototuna Senior High School

improved results in standardised tests.

Similarly, doctoral research by Paul Whitinui , looking at the educational benefits for Māori secondary school students involved in kapa haka, concluded that such involvement had a positive effect on their participation and achievement at school. They were happier to attend school and were more disposed to learning. Whitinui found that kapa haka validated their culture, boosted their confidence, nurtured their identity, and instilled pride in being Māori.

More recently, in 2014, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage commissioned research into the benefits of kapa haka . The findings showed a link between students’ participation in kapa haka and improved learning outcomes – as

CREDIT: Rototuna Senior High School, Hamilton

highlighted in the following quote from one interviewee: “… it’s huge in terms of kids at school that get involved in kapa haka...They tend to study well, they tend to achieve well. So the parts of their own culture that are supported at school gives good outcomes in terms of their scholastic results”.

Another interviewee believed that kapa haka aided literacy: “In terms of the value of kapa haka in schools, I very much see the impact on Māori student achievement aligning with kapa haka – even improving literacy …”.

And yet another interviewee emphasised the value of kapa haka for Māori students’ identity: “I know particularly the power of kapa haka and I’ve seen what kapa haka can do in a school. I think that we underestimate how important it is. When you have kapa haka in a school you raise the value of what it is to be Māori. So, when you have kapa haka that’s inclusive and it involves everybody, it makes the Māori children in the school feel proud about who they are and they can stand tall as Māori. There is a lot of value around being successful as Māori, and for schools to have the responsibility to make it safe to do that; kapa haka is very much a tool that allows that to happen”. Such research is significant in light of too many Māori students becoming disengaged from formal education before the age of 16.

Te Reo

Interestingly, Christchurch Men’s Prison Youth Unit has recently introduced kapa haka training as part of its re-integration programme. The aim is to improve the young offenders’ understanding of Māori culture.

The inmates report that, in addition to learning about Māoritanga, the programme has provided a positive mechanism for them to re-assess their values e.g. respect, honesty, aroha. Kapa haka has reportedly helped them to understand themselves better. One inmate, Jay, commented on the importance of tikanga in kapa haka :

years of formal education, a Māori youth were totally unprepared to interact within te ao Māori, then, no matter what else had been learned, education would have been incomplete".

“Doing tikanga has opened up my spiritual being. Tikanga teach you how to behave; they are a way of life. I am going to take these learnings and use them to stay out of trouble”.

•

One of the tutors commented that the prison’s kapa haka programme was empowering. It promoted confidence, self-esteem, and discipline – and required teamwork. The prison is currently developing a peer mentoring system (tuakana:teina) – to accommodate newcomers to the programme.

Māori educationalist, Dr Mason Durie, emphasised that the logical mechanism for keeping young Māori engaged as learners was for their language and culture to be validated – thus giving them a strong sense of identity. In 2001, he proposed a Māori Education Framework that was adopted by the Ministry of Education (MOE). One of its three main goals to ensure Māori educational advancement was “enabling Māori to live as Māori”.

The last two words are significant, hence their prominence in subsequent ministry documents – particularly Ka Hikitia, the ministry’s Māori education strategy, which recognises that culture counts. Durie (2003) defined the phrase ‘as Māori’ as follows: "‘As Māori’ [means] being able to have access to te ao Māori, the Māori world – access to language, culture ... . If, after twelve or so

Creating opportunities for kapa haka is one way that schools can increase their cultural responsiveness to Māori students – so that their language and culture is validated. Furthermore, as highlighted in the research, there will be other associated benefits.

These include: the recognition that, as Māori, they add value to New Zealand's unique identity

| TEACHING RESOURCES

Alice Patrick (far right) performs with the Ministry of Education’s kapa haka group Image credit: Alice Patrick Kia mau! Hold/ Be ready!

front!

Tukua! Let go! ie release hands from hips

Āta whakarongo! Listen carefully!

Ki raro! Hands drop down by your sides!

Turituri! Quiet!

Whakarārangihia! Line up!

Waewae takahia! Stamp your feet!

Waiata mai! Sing (to me)!

Anō! (Do/Say it) again!

Titiro mai! Look this way/ Look at me!

the embedding of Māori values (e.g. whanaungatanga, ako, tuakana:teina)

Whakapiri! Come together!

Kia wiri! Quiver hands! (like the shimmer of heat on the land)

Kia tau! Settle down/Stop!

•

increased confidence gained from ‘performance’

Nekehia ki te taha māui/matau!

Move to the left/right!

towards me!

•

an appreciation of the different dimensions that contribute to holistic wellbeing (hauora)

Pūkana! Make a facial gesture with big scary eyes!

•

•

an enhanced ability to communicate meaning through visual language eg action songs and haka

•

physical stamina, fitness and coordination

•

cognitive stimulation due to the demands of recitation, repetition and memorisation

•

a sense of solidarity from being in a collective, as part of a team

•

self-discipline and commitment

•

exposure to leadership opportunities and rolemodelling

•

personal growth and development.

(Alice Patrick will continue her kōrero on the benefits of kapa haka in our next edition of School News.)

Kapa haka commands Kia rite! Get ready!

Hope! Hands on hips!

Ringaringa ki runga/raro/waho!

Hands up/down/out!

Ringaringa/Waewae ki te taha māui! Hands/Feet to the left!

Ringaringa/Waewae ki te taha matau! Hands/Feet to the right!

Whiua ō ringaringa! Sway your hands!

Me mahi pēnei! Do it like this!

Huri mai! Turn this way/Turn

Kāti! That’s enough/Stop!

Praise Tino pai. Very good.

Ka pai. Good.

Ka mau te wehi. Awesome.

Mīharo. Amazing.

Ataahua. Beautiful.

Encouragement

Haere ki muri! Go to the back!

Haere tonu. Keep going.

Haere mai ki mua! Come to the

Kia kaha. Give it heaps.

Bilingual resources – user-friendly for teachers, engaging for students

info@arahiabooks.co.nz www.arahiabooks.co.nz www.alicepatrick.co.nz

Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

35

TEACHING RESOURCES |

Musical Instruments

The benefits of music lessons in schools All children benefit from music education, not just those with a lot of talent. Time and again, research shows us that learning music helps children to achieve better academically and socially. Learning a musical instrument takes that learning up a notch.

In studies undertaken at Stanford University, California, researchers found that mastering a musical instrument improves the way the human brain processes parts of spoken language, that people with musical experience found it easier than non-musicians to detect small differences in word syllables, and that musical training helps the brain work more efficiently in distinguishing split-second differences between rapidly changing sounds that are essential to processing language.

Researcher Nadine Gaab says the findings have important potential implications for improving speech processing in children struggling with language and reading skills.

And report co-author, professor John Gabrieli says the research shows how musical training

alters how the brain processes language components.

"It shows how important split-second timing is for understanding language—if you're bad at it, you're at risk of becoming a bad reader. But what's important is that people are not stuck with this—the study shows that with training people improved their perception of sounds. It shows that our mental capacity is amenable to experience: The brain is plastic, adaptable and trainable."

Soul Food Music can stir the soul and calm the nerves.

A 2013 study from the University of Alberta found that children admitted to the emergency department who listened to music during routine procedures showed less distress and reported lower pain scores than those who didn’t listen to music.

The benefits of learning an instrument go well beyond academic achievement.

Researchers at Auckland University evaluating the South Auckland cluster of El Sistema, a programme which seeks to effect social change through the pursuit of musical excellence, found that El Sistema students were not only ahead of their peers in reading and maths, but they recorded better levels of attendance and higher standards of behaviour.

Their abilities to self-manage, participate and contribute had all improved.

in the families of participating students. “Families demonstrate cohesiveness and work together to support their children to succeed in Sistema Aotearoa,” says Robyn Trinick, researcher and senior music lecturer.

Furthermore, the programme was found to reinforce family values and raise aspirations

The Virtuoso Strings Charitable Trust delivers a similar programme to 11 low-decile schools in Porirua

And neuroscientists in the UK discovered that that one particular song, Weightless, by Marconi Union, resulted in a 65 per cent reduction in participants' overall anxiety, and a 35 per cent reduction in their usual physiological resting rates.

East. Instrumental music lessons are run three days a week, and the trust’s orchestra of 160 rehearses twice weekly.

All instruments and lessons are provided free of charge with the cost met by trustees Liz Sneyd and Craig Utting, some community funding and sponsors.

“We aim to ensure that every student is catered to, no matter how diverse their needs,” says Ms Sneyd. ““There’s not one person who’s seen us in action or followed the trust’s work who doesn’t see enormous benefits for the kids and their whānau.”

Teamwork Working with others is a critical life skill that’s important to learn as a child. Students participating in a band or orchestra learn to work together for the greater good.

Self-discipline Kids who learn to play an instrument can learn a valuable lesson in discipline. They will have to set time aside to practice and rise to the challenge of learning with discipline to master playing their instrument.

36

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

Musical Instruments

Pride With encouragement from teachers and parents, students playing a musical instrument can build pride and confidence.

Musical education is also likely to develop better communication for students.

The Ministry of Education supports instrumental tuition in schools by allocating allowances to secondary, area, composite and restricted composite schools so they can provide tuition in vocal and instrumental music. There is also funding available for full-time, permanently appointed, itinerant music teachers. The Ministry provides a time allowance to coordinate the programmes and for the professional development of these teachers.

One of these providers is MusiqHub a New Zealandwide network of music teachers who deliver instrumental music lessons to students in primary and intermediate schools. These can be during class time if the school agrees, or during lunch times and after school.

“We provide structured and proven curriculums that have students performing confidently

and using their instruments in a variety of settings,” says MusiqHub director Graeme Collier.

The benefit to students is obvious, he says. “We see our MusiqHub students grow in areas like self-confidence, discipline, coordination, self-esteem, teamwork, creativity and self expression.”

Students can choose from a wide range of instruments and are encouraged through fun learning experiences.

Some schools have a supply of musical instruments available for students to try or to hire for the year, but many prefer to contract with music suppliers who can take care of the maintenance.

“One way that schools can manage the cost of instruments, particularly with regard to brass and woodwind instruments is rather than buying them, hire them from a supplier with a rental programme that offers world class Yamaha instruments,” says Mr Collier. “An added benefit is that the hire plan includes ongoing service and maintenance of the instruments.”

| TEACHING RESOURCES

Enhance your school’s Music Programme

MusiqHub tutors are passionate about supporting children’s development and learning through music tuition.

Our structured music curriculum is available across rock, brass and woodwind instruments. Lessons are either individual or in small groups to maximise learning.

For more information on how MusiqHub could help increase the creative expression in your school, please contact Graeme Collier on 021 904 767 or graeme@musiqhub.co.nz

www.musiqhub.co.nz

Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

37

TEACHING RESOURCES |

Book Reviews

New to the bookshelf Girl with the Lost Smile False River

By Paula Morris Young adult Penguin False River is a collection of brilliant short stories by prize-winning New Zealand author, Paula Morris. The stories and essays here range the world — from America, to Antwerp, to Aotearoa — and take the reader from witch-burning in contemporary Denmark to small-town Louisiana during Hurricane Katrina. Stories traverse the tales of bluesman Robert Johnson, the outlaw Billy the Kid, and Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the Little House series, as well as Ms Morris’ own history and secrets. The title story, False River, was a finalist in the prestigious Sunday Times EFG Short Story Awards, 2015. A very special book which would make a great asset to every high school library.

By Miranda Hart Hachette Readers 7 plus Chloe Long has lost her smile. She's looked everywhere for it. (Under her pillow. Under her bed. Under her nose. Obviously.)

She's tried everything to bring it back.

(Her favourite cake. Her favourite gran. Her favourite joke. Obviously.) But nothing seems to be working!

Until one night, something utterly magical happens - and Chloe finds herself on an adventure that is out of this world.

This is the first children’s book by comedian Miranda Hart, beautifully illustrated by Kate Hindley.

The Christmas Tree Tangle

By Margaret Mahy Penguin, Readers aged 5 to 7 This wonderful Margaret Mahy Christmas tale

by New Zealand’s favourite children’s author is the first Mahy book to be re-released in four years.

It’s the tale of a curious kitten who gets stuck at the top of the Christmas tree, prompting rescue attempts by a colourful cast of characters including the dog, the goat and the pigs, all re-illustrated by Sarah Davis.

Hetty Feather’s Christmas

38

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Get Away

By Jacqueline Wilson Doubleday Children’s Penguin Random House

Huia Short Stories 12

By Jeff Kinney

Young adult Huia

Readers 7 plus Puffin

This collection brings tougher the best short stories and novel extracts from the 2017 Pikihuia awards. The collection also includes some of the short fiction developed on Te Papa Tupu, a six-month mentoring programme for Maori writers. Together, they showcase imaginative fiction from talented Maori writers. This book is perfect for secondary schools level students for recreational reading and as exemplars of short stories from Aotearoa.

In The Get Away, book 12 in the Wimpy Kid series, Greg Heffley and his family go on a holiday to escape the stress of celebrating Christmas at home.

An unexpected gift leads to trouble for Hetty on Christmas Day at the Foundling Hospital, and the dreaded Matron Bottomly is delighted to have an excuse to exclude Hetty from the festive celebrations. Poor Hetty is distraught - but just when it seems that all is lost, a dear friend arrives to whisk her away for a Christmas unlike any other . . . Full of friendship, fun and festive cheer, this beautifully-packaged hardback is complete with stunning illustrations by Nick Sharratt and fabulous bonus material featuring fun facts about the Victorian Christmas. The perfect stocking-filler for every Jacqueline Wilson fan.

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

But what’s supposed to be a stress-free break soon turns into a holiday nightmare.

Sun poisoning, stomach troubles, and venomous critters all threaten to ruin the family's trip. Can their trip be saved, or will this island getaway end in disaster?

Summer Days Penguin Random House Summer Days is a beautiful collection of stories and poems celebrating summer, by some of New Zealand’s finest writers and illustrators. It includes treasures by Margaret Mahy, Joy Cowley, Gavin Bishop, Pamela Allen and many more. Suitable for early readers and reading aloud.

How Not to Stop a Kidnap Plot

By Suzanne Main Readers 8 plus, Scholastic Michael is on a mission. After a run-in with his sworn enemy, Angus, Michael's brilliant payback plan backfires. Now he's in the school production as a tree - his worst nightmare! When Michael discovers a twisted kidnap plot, his troubles soon multiply. It's obvious that rich-kid Angus is the target. Can Michael and his motley bunch of mates solve the kidnap mystery and destruct a planet-threatening plan before it’s too late?

A high-tech adventure by the award-winning author of How I Alienated My Grandma.

Accounting Solutions

| ADMINISTRATION

Reducing workload and cost by outsourcing the accounts Management of the school accounts can be a big worry for principals and boards of trustees, and swallow up a lot of their time.

care of the accounting for more than 660 schools in New Zealand. Mr McBreen says the main advantage to schools in outsourcing accounting is that it frees them up to focus on their core business, education.

Typically it entails the employment of specialist accounting staff as well as the hiring of financial management software, yet it still carries the risk of money being misappropriated within the school.

“It’s also a safety thing. It’s peace of mind for the Board of Trustees as it means there is less chance of school funds being misappropriated.

No wonder then that schools are increasingly looking to outsource their accounts management. A good financial services supplier can relieve a school of the burden of the very many tasks involved in keeping the school’s financial paperwork spick and span.

Peter McBreen runs Education Services, a business that takes

“Outsourcing the accounting is much more economical for a school than managing it in-house. They haven’t got one person studying to learn their way around the system, they can hand it all over to us.

“Because we employ specialists, we can have one person managing the accounts for 20 schools at a time. Our fee equates to less than the hours a school

would have to employ someone and that’s before the cost of hiring the accounting software or getting audited.”

A good accounting service will provide the school with accurate and easy-to-read reports, fully reconciled monthly balance sheets, and will take care of GST returns, boards of trustees’ fee payments, annual financial statements and liaison with auditors.

Use of a highly professional

financial management service fully conversant with Ministry of Education systems will mean the school no longer requires specialist accounting staff or to hire accounting software.

Mr McBreen has some advice for schools who may want to look at hiring a financial management company. “I suggest getting some names of schools who use them, and an auditor reference because there are vast differences in quality out there.”

supplier profile EDUCATION SERVICES

Peace of Mind Financial Reporting Financial Reporting

Education Services Provides a Financial Reporting Service to over 660 schools.

We are the Financial Reporting Specialists and would be delighted to provide you with a solution to all your Financial Reporting needs. A real point of difference is Education Services pays your bills on your behalf - this provides huge peace of mind for schools as it severely decreases the opportunity for fraud and misappropriation.

Our clients tell us this is a great part of our service” . No software is needed at the school as all reports, ledger queries, creditor searches are accessed through the cloud 24/7 and we provide training for your staff. We have seven offices that service schools anywhere in the North Island.

Education Services provides a Financial Reporting Service to over 660 schools Edcloud – Realtime dashboard/reporting and enquiry functions. Software made specifically for New Zealand Schools Let us take all the worry out of your Financial Management

We provide professional management reports which reflect our specialised education experience together with effective technological applications and a caring personal service will give you satisfaction and confidence for the future.

Let us take all the worry out of your Financial Management. For a no- obligation quote contact Pete 06 757 5489 or pete@ educationservices.co.nz

For a no-obligation quote please contact Pete on 06 757 5489 or email to pete@educationservices.co.nz

Property Service We provide long term maintenance plans and project supervision in the Taranaki, Wanganui and Manawatu regions For more information contact Mel on 06 349 0902

www.educationservices.co.nz Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

39

EXTERNAL LEARNING |

Planning for 2018

Making the most of LEOTC opportunites While everyone else seems to be thinking about plans for Christmas and the summer holidays, educators’ sights are zeroing in on 2018. For as every teacher knows, the key is in the planning.

In his TED talk, How to Escape Education’s Death Valley, Sir Ken Robinson says there are three principles that make human life thrive: diversity, curiosity and creativity. Mr Robinson also says, “If you sit kids down, hour after hour, doing low grade clerical work, don’t be surprised if they start to fidget.”

Time to get out of the classroom!

Even the most humble field trip is an opportunity to build trust that the world outside of regular routine can be fun, safe and interesting, and it can result in greater achievement in all subjects. By seeing real-life application of the lessons that they are learning in school, children are more likely to understand and appreciate the importance and relevance of what they are learning.

A school camp is very often the students’ highlight of the year In New Zealand schools, we call these learning experiences outside the classroom (LEOTC).

These include, but are not limited to, zoos, museums, historic parks, art galleries, performing arts, science and outdoor centres. They also include LEOTC providers invited into schools, performing artists for example or sports specialists.

In the context of the world being

the classroom, the scope for an LEOTC activity is huge. Currently, LEOTC programmes are provided under the curriculum for arts, health and physical education, social sciences and languages, science, maths and technology.

According to the Ministry of Education, LEOTC activities are used to enrich student learning within a unique Aotearoa/New Zealand context. “They are

Ask them exactly what they do and don’t provide. “We constantly develop new features to improve our service for schools,” says Mr McBreen. One such recently introduced feature is the development of a client login function so schools can access their ledger 24 hours a day, to view detail and print up-to-date reports.

Wendy Esera, principal at Henderson Intermediate School, says the job of managing school finances has grown enormously over the years. “It’s a huge job, far too big for one person in any school office to do.”

Ms Esera says that outsourcing the financial management gave complete peace of mind in “this critically important area”.

Monthly reports, which include graphs, allow the BOT to see at a glance how well the school is

40

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

authentic, hands-on, interactive learning experiences, which builds on classroom learning. Currently, LEOTC programmes are provided under the curriculum for arts, health and physical education, social sciences and languages, science, maths and technology.

When it comes to planning your LEOTC programme, research and organisation are your friends.

sensible practice. As a significant community business, it is very important that your school pays all monies due on time and in full to maintain healthy community relationships.”

Reports and reviews Monthly and annual reporting is a key part of keeping the school’s financial systems secure and successful.

tracking financially throughout the year.

The Ministry of Education says that principals and the BOT need to feel sure that they can account for all money coming into the school and how it is spent.

“Generally, schools or a financial service provider use a financial

management software package.

Keeping the accounts involves, therefore, a data entry process so that you can generate all the necessary reports easily.

“In small schools, it can be tempting to save money by doing all the data entry yourself, but this is neither a safe nor

Reviews provide the security of knowing from month to month and year to year the state of your school’s financial systems.

The MOE requires that these are carried out thoroughly and in accordance with the required time frames.

The Ministry reminds principals not to rely on others for financial information – knowing about school finances is part of being a principal. “If you don’t know, ask.”

Planning for 2018

| EXTERNAL LEARNING

Bouncing to improved confidence Bouncing on a trampoline is part of a Kiwi kid’s childhood and now it can be part of the curriculum too.

JUMP, a group of trampoline parks in Auckland and Hamilton and the only such park in New Zealand to be accredited the International Association of Trampoline Parks, is open to school visits.

“Trampolining is excellent for developing body awareness, co-ordination, balance, hand eye coordination and motor skills,” says JUMP owner, Sandra Mu. “Students who come to JUMP can also explore different levels of risk, experience their full range of senses, and how their bodies move through space.”

and intrinsic rewards. “Some children participate purely to seek rewards or to win, and others join in purely for fun.

It is important for students to understand what motivates them to participate in physical activity.

They can also learn the difference between extrinsic

Discounted rates are available to schools.

JUMP

RYONE WHERE EVE BELONGS! HAT BURNING MAKE M TENERGY TEATHIS

A EXERCISE PART OF YOUR

R E H T E G O T JUMPs EDUCATION PROGRAMME

JUMPing challenges ER kids THactive Eyour YS TOG the not-so-active kids to TAencourages Sand enjoy physical activity.

JUMP corporate event a blast. say: Thiswillismake whatyour some of our schools Whether you are looking for a great team-building activity, searching an innovative way to launch “Really goodforinvolvement from your your product, fun place for your annual staff, veryainteractive withcompany’s the kids” family day or simply want to add excitement to your corporate our staff will JUMP into action for “JUMPfunction was a–really safe environment and tailor to thetry perfect to your budget. them andcorporate extendevent themselves” Unlimited options available, from an hour-long jump “Was a fantastic term at jump, staff and session to a full facility rental with catering, music and students loved games for your team. it” JUMP fill in the request form Visitonline our and website for details &and to we’ll book: work with you to make your event a success:

jumpwithus.co.nz/groups/jump-schools

jumpwithus.co.nz/jump-corporate

School groups our speciality Close to all local sport fields Large kitchen & common areas Mount Maunganui , Bay of Plenty

0800 666 622 info@pacificcoastlodge.co.nz | www.pacificcoastlodge.co.nz

New Zealand’s

New Zealand’s premier indoor premier indoorpark trampoline trampoline park

First Aid Trained First Aid Trained Customer Supervision Customer Supervision Independently Audited Independently Audited

facebook.com/jumpoline

0800 JUMP WITH US

171016_JUMP_schoolNews_89x267.indd 1

instagram.com/jump_nz

www.jumpwithus.co.nz

2:01:41 PM 41 Term 4 - 2017 22/09/2017 schoolnews

EXTERNAL LEARNING |

Planning for 2018

School trips are an opportunity to build trust that the world outside of regular routine can be fun, safe and interesting

Preparing students This phase, as time consuming as it can be, is crucial to the success of the experience. Research has shown that students given pre-trip instruction learn and retain more from a field trip than those who receive no preparation.

The first step is to get students excited about the trip. Ways you can do this include using video footage from a previous trip, inviting in students who have previously taken the trip to share their experience, and opening discussion about students’ prior knowledge of the location.

As the date nears, remind students to get a good sleep and to eat breakfast before the trip.

This is especially important for physically demanding outings and overnight stays. Talk through appropriate choices for clothing

bearing in mind the weather and the amount of time to be spent outdoors.

Preparing others When informing parents about the trip, remember to describe carefully how the trip relates to the curriculum and adds to the learning. This is also an opportunity to ask for helpers, if required.

If you are taking parent helpers, don’t assume that they intuitively know their role. Prepare them by explaining expectations such as which student group they are assigned to and whether or not it’s acceptable to stop to buy food, for example.

Preparing yourself If at all possible, scout out the destination before the trip. Find out about the parking situation,

the location of toilets, and check accessibility for any students with physical disabilities.

And check the weather forecast.

One of the wonderful realities of life in New Zealand is that any weather is possible, at any time of year!

What to do, where to go – and where to stay?

School camps A school camp is very often the students’ highlight of the year, long awaited and much anticipated. And a huge part of a camp’s success is in its location.

In New Zealand, there is a huge choice of sites for school camps ranging from traditional grass camping sites through to activity centres designed especially for school groups. These usually include dormitories, dining halls and indoor gyms, as well as playgrounds, swimming holes,

walking tracks and bush. Most offer catering facilities with a variety of menus to suit different dietary requirements and budgets.

Bush and lakeside sites remain very popular, but many schools also arrange for students to sleep over at museums, zoos and aquariums.

Marae over-nights give students the opportunity to learn about the importance of Māori customs and protocol.

In-school visits In-school visits from LEOTC providers are becoming increasingly popular as a method of delivering high quality learning opportunities at much reduced cost and organisation.

Bringing the activity to the school removes the cost of hiring buses, the time spent travelling to and from venues, and the task of scouting locations.

STEAM education in a capsule As the demand for our students to develop competencies within the STEM disciplines increases, so too does the need for resources and training which support teachers to develop these competencies in their students.

In response to this, the education team at the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) have created “STEAM cells”, trailers containing

42

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

specialised equipment, teaching resources and collection items which can be booked by schools.

A MOTAT educator takes the STEAM cell to the school and hosts the experience which is tailored to the school’s inquiry question.

“It’s about developing the soft skills, such as design-thinking, computational thinking and collaboration, and fitting the experience into the school’s inquiry context,” says MOTAT education manager Julie Baker.

The service is currently available in the greater Auckland area but demand is high so MOTAT is looking at the possibility of

setting up STEAM cell bookings beyond Auckland. Costs start at $200 per booking plus $10 per student.

Planning for 2018

| EXTERNAL LEARNING

Group accommodation in Christchurch city A popular choice for school groups visiting the garden city is the five-hectare Christchurch TOP 10 Holiday Park, located halfway between the airport and the city centre.

It’s within walking distance of bus stops and a big shopping centre, and offers a variety of accommodation choices: a lodge, cabins, motel units and sites for tents and motor homes. Lodge facilities comprise ten units, each with a bunk room, shower and toilet, and cooking utensils.

All visitors have access to communal kitchen, dining areas and barbeque areas.

Groups are provided with a lockable storeroom and

fridge for food storage, and commercial-size cookware is available for hire.

There is a minimum group booking requirement of three rooms and parties of up to 100 can be accommodated.

On-site attractions include an indoor heated swimming pool, two playgrounds, a jumping pillow, four-wheel bikes, table tennis and pool, and a coinoperated games room.

STEM

EDUCATION ON THE MOVE

We know that organising an out-of-school visit for your students is a lot of hard work; getting permission, organising parent supervisors and paying for transport all require time and effort – so don’t do it!

A MOTAT STEAM Cell is a trailer packed full of equipment, teaching resources and collection items designed to offer an education experience on your school site.

A STEAM Cell can provide a ‘taster’ experience for a larger group of students e.g. you might want an entire year level to engage in a short duration educational session.

A STEAM Cell can provide a deeper education experience for a smaller group of students e.g. a single class might use the resources in a STEAM Cell to explore an experience in depth.

A STEAM Cell means you don’t have to pay for buses or organise parent helpers – suddenly EOTC just got so much easier.

Christchurch TOP 10 Holiday Park 0800 396 323 39 Meadow Street Papanui, Christchurch

christchurchtop10.co.nz

With room for everyone, our park is the ideal space for your school or sports group.

Motels | Units | Cabins | Sites • Motel 2 bedroom • Self-contained units • Lodge sleeps 40 • Cabins • Group kitchen/dining • Indoor heated swimming pool/spa • Games room • Jumping pillow • Playground • 5km from City Centre, close to Northlands mall

Steam Cells topics currently available include: Design Thinking - design process, prototyping, product design and testing.

Computational Thinking – programming and robotic control. Arcade game development.

Collaborative Thinking – an Escape Game challenge.

For more information go to www.motat.org.nz/steamcell

Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

43

EXTERNAL LEARNING |

Planning for 2018

Some providers have always run road show-type operations, performing arts groups for example, while others that have traditionally hosted school groups on site, such as museums and conservation educators, are now taking their programmes into schools. Many have specially constructed portable classrooms to deliver specialist eduction.

Group accommodation choices

budget restaurants on site with meal deal packages that can be booked in advance.

use camp grounds, lodges and

The cost of accommodation can make or break plans to get away.

Youth hostels and backpackers’ lodges are popular with school groups as they are budget friendly, and most provide a selection of room sizes from dormitories to private rooms. Some also have

Holiday parks are another option.

Usually located on the city fringes, these can prove more costeffective than centrally located motels, and also have the space for big group gatherings such as barbecues and picnics. Away from the towns, schools often

details of any houses or lodges

Capital city accommodation at student prices There’s a new backpackers’ style hostel in Wellington, ideal for school groups visiting the capital.

Laneway Backpackers is centrally located in Manners St, only five minutes’ walk from Te Papa, and can accommodate up to 96 guests in double and bunk rooms.

Guests have access to free WiFi and the use of a communal kitchen. There is also a communal lounge with books and board games for chill out

44

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

time at the end of a busy day.

The backpackers is located close to all major sporting venues for rugby, netball and water sports, and local attractions include the waterfront, climbing at Mt Victoria, and beautiful, cityfringe walks.

There is no minimum age requirement and accommodation is secured with swipe card access and free use of lockers. Lifts are security controlled, accessible only via swipe card.

Department of Conservation huts.

Check your council’s website for available to groups. Auckland Regional Council, for example, has houses available to the public at many beach front locations.

By Anna Clements, Editor

Planning for 2018

| EXTERNAL LEARNING

Learning beach safety through surf school Surfing continues to grow in popularity not just through surf lifesaving clubs but through schools, too.

The O’Neill Surf Academy NZ partners with schools to teach surfing on northern beaches (Ninety Mile Beach to Tāwharanui) and in Mount

Maunganui. During the last surf season alone, around 130 school groups attended O’Neill surf programmes to learn how to grab a board and catch a wave.

The academy caters for absolute beginners from non-swimming children in year four through to senior students who can gain NCEA credits for completing intensive training and learning

to read the wind, tide, rips, currents and waves. Nonswimmers stay in waist-high water, and all students wear wetsuits to aid buoyancy.

Surf Safety Day which is for students in years four to eight.

Other options include two-hour lessons, day programmes and even multi-day surf tours.

One of the most popular choices for schools is the Beach

Costs start at $17.50 plus GST per student.

Digital technology guidance by industry insiders OMGTech! facilitates hands on workshops for teachers and students to explore digital technologies such as coding, robotics, 3D design, electronics, science and CS Unplugged.

Workshops are led by experts working in technology in order to role model to and inspire young learners. Founder Zoe Timbrell says OMG Tech! was set up to enable tamariki to be creators with technology,

rather than just consumers.

“Understanding how it all works will be a fundamental requirement to participation in society in the future. It's important to become a digital citizen not just from a job creation point of view but from a societal one. Our kids will be using technology to shape their world in the future.”

Resources that align with the new curricula for years one to eight are being developed for online access, and new training will be available from the beginning of 2018 - in-school workshops for students and online training for teachers.

Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

45

EXTERNAL LEARNING |

Planning for 2018

Going bush just 30 mins from the city centre One Big Adventure has three camp sites in Auckland’s wild west, all set in magnificent native bush.

Carey Park Christian Camp just 30 minutes west of central Auckland - is ideal for school groups, catering for 170 in bunk rooms.

Just down the road is Ferndale Lodge, accommodating up to 34 with a set of bunks in each room, and further west is Piha Mill camp, just 10 minutes’ walk from the famous Piha beach.

This camp accommodates up to 79 in a combination of bunk rooms and dormitories.

water and up high! These include confidence course, archery, air rifles, river games, raft building, swimming hole, bush skills, Burma trail, camp fire and orienteering. The camp provides instructors for indoor rock wall, kayaking, flying fox, crate stacking and plant box.

Catering options vary between OBE sites; Carey Park is fully catered, Ferndale offers full catering or bed and breakfast, as well as an onsite cafe, and at Piha Mill campers choose between full catering and selfcatering.

Around 35 activities are on offer at the camps – on land,

Surfing 4

Schools

CAREY PARK CHRIST IAN CAMP

u! they ‘ll love yo ents surfing, ional Schools at rn Take your stud te In | h ig rmediate | H Primary | Inte

PIHA MIL L CAMP FERNDAL E LODGE

Tours andards | Surf hievement St Ac EA nd C la N th | or ty N fe | Matakana | Beach Surf Sa anui | Orewa Mount Maung

P: 09 434 3843 | M: 027 734 4877 E: surf@oneillsurfacademy.co.nz www.oneillsurfacademy.co.nz

46

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

One Big Adventure creates experiences, challenges, risks and situations that stretch, build and grow you not just in the moment, but for life. And we deliver them in an environment of encouragement, friendship, food and FUN. Just the way it should be.

p: 098370494 | e: info@onebigadventure.org.nz www.onebigadventure.org.nz

Planning for 2018

| EXTERNAL LEARNING

Planning an overseas learning adventure An overseas learning adventure can be extremely rewarding, but the task of organising it can be daunting. Managing high expectations and all the variables involved with international travel and cultural shock requires some pretty deft organisational skills.

needs. Costs need close attention; what does the cost of the trip include and exclude?

For example, ski trip prices often only cover the cost of two-hour morning lessons; afternoon lessons are extra.

Schools that have enjoyed successful overseas trips say the secret is in careful planning - and the assistance of a skilled travel agent.

The Ministry also recommends checking that all students have the correct documentation for travel. There may be students whose nationality status may affect their ability to travel abroad.

Official advice from the Ministry of Education is to research all aspects of the trip thoroughly, from the leaders’ legal and moral responsibilities when acting in place of parents through to management of payment schedules.

If the thought of all this is causing you to scratch your head and reconsider plans for an overseas adventure, it’s worth reflecting on the wide-ranging benefits of such a trip.

Language extension An overseas trip is an amazing opportunity for students to experience another language

When deciding which staff or other adults will be joining the trip, ensure there is an appropriate balance in terms of gender, experience and skills, e.g. someone with a first aid certificate.

in a real-life context, especially speaking and understanding.

For New Zealand students, so geographically removed from the rest of the world, the opportunity for extensive practice at daily interactions is extra special.

learn about each other in a more relaxed setting. The Ministry of Education (MoE) provides detailed guidance to schools wanting to arrange overseas educational tours, all available on the Ministry website.

Cultural learning

In essence, trip leaders should cover themselves by following the procedures laid down by the school and, if the school is a Code Signatory, the requirements of the Code.

Reading about another culture is one thing, experiencing it firsthand takes learning to a whole new level. It makes it much easier to understand - and a lot more fun.

Bonding time Getting away from the classroom gives students the opportunity to connect on a more personal level away from the structure of the school day. They will have time to chat in small groups and

Other preparation advised is to carry out an inspection visit of the destination or contact someone who has already been there, to review health and safety risks related to activities and accommodation, and to review risk assessment with regard to students who have additional

Choosing a travel agent Before signing up with a travel agent, double check that they are TAANZ bonded, that is, a fully paid up member of the Travel Agents’ Association of New Zealand.

TAANZ members protect their customers in a number of ways, explains association chief executive Andrew Olsen.

“They subscribe to a higher standard of qualification and financial scrutiny which means their agents are highly skilled and the business itself is stable.

TAANZ also requires that its members participate in the Consumer Protection Fund (CPF) so that in the event that the TAANZ member’s business fails, the funds passed to it by its customers will be safe.”

TAANZ will accept claims arising from the failure of a TAANZ member and, subject to approval, meet payment of claims up to $250,000. TAANZ members who are also accredited to IATA (International Air Transport Association) receive further benefits. If the TAANZ member fails but the airline ticket has been issued, TAANZ has an arrangement with airlines to ensure the issued ticket is honoured. This is additional to the CPF. Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

47

EXTERNAL LEARNING |

Case Study – Otumoetai College

A physics trip to Europe Otumoetai College science teacher Rebecca Harrop recalls her trip to Europe with eight physics students.

I came back from our 16-day tour to Europe feeling as though I'd had a holiday which was a miracle considering I'd taken eight students to the other side of the world by myself!

I had chosen Tour Time to organise the trip for us because, after phoning round, I felt they best understood what I wanted.

They had visited the places they suggested, and provided support staff at all locations. However, I had not expected them to be so very good at their jobs. All their advice was spot on, they knew how to balance learning and fun, and understood the level at which to aim the learning.

The trip was for years 12 and 13 physics students so I looked at key learning areas that would benefit them, and opportunities not available in New Zealand.

We went to France, Switzerland and Germany so we could visit CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research), the World Meteorological Organisation, Einstein’s house, CRRP and the

Rebecca Harrop took her physics students to Europe Tokomak, and the Deutsches Museum and BMW factory.

I had started organising the trip nine months before we travelled.

We had planned to go with another school but they pulled out because of low numbers. I was concerned that this would send our price sky rocketing, but Tour Time helped us keep costs down by using public transport and booking accommodation slightly

out of the town centres. Tour Time was also able to facilitate any changes I needed to make during the planning, and met twice with parents and students to keep everyone informed. All I had to do was throw them some ideas and pick through the choices they provided, keep communicating with students, parents and the school, and complete RAMS/ EOTC.

48

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

We were met at airports to ensure we transferred quickly and painlessly, and even had our departure cards delivered.

Paris was a good starting point; for the students it was a

expectation would be the service offering should at least match the pitch to win the business in the first place. Destination knowledge, first hand experience and long standing supplier relationships will go a long way to ensuring there are no surprises too.

Mr Olsen says TAANZ has strongly recommended that the Ministry of Education (MoE) adopt a more vigorous position on their guidelines for school group travel by promoting those travel agents who are bonded to TAANZ. He recalls a case in which a school tour was left in jeopardy when their agent failed to meet supplier payments (for flights and accommodation), causing “significant anxiety” for the school and students. “Happily on this occasion the commitment for the school group was maintained through TAANZ intervention.”

The agent then had its TAANZ membership terminated as it had failed to maintain association standards.

Tour Time provided us with a topnotch guide, a recent physics and teaching graduate, and staff from New Zealand stayed in touch to ensure everything ran smoothly.

Schools can expect a simple contract setting out terms and conditions for the travel agent and the suppliers.

The next consideration in choosing an agent is how well it can match your trip requirements.

Mr Olsen says handling school

tours is arguably the most challenging of group travel arrangements, and a heavily competed sector. “A realistic

“We would also recommend talking to other customers of the agency before committing. School group travel is expensive and a significant commitment so go into it with your eyes open and ask as many questions as you need to make an informed decision.”

Case Study – Otumoetai College

massive drawcard and gave us the opportunity to enjoy and experience a different culture, and it also gave us the chance to acclimatise before getting into hardcore physics.

| EXTERNAL LEARNING

able to analyse the data and figure out what types of particles the device was detecting - and it wasn't just the students who got a kick out of it!

But the big attraction was CERN, on the Franco-Swiss border, where physicists and engineers are probing the fundamental structure of the universe.

We also visited the Centre for Research in Plasma Physics (CRPP), Switzerland’s main plasma and fusion laboratory, and the powerplant at Mühleberg to look at fission.

We had a tour of the site, an introduction to The Standard Model and the four fundamental forces, and a masterclass in which two physicists took the students through data from ATLAS, one of the main detectors in CERN. We were

The learning the students gained was more than I anticipated, and was not just science, but real-life skills such as budgeting, eating out, and self-care (like washing their clothes!). They developed confidence, and learned to take more risks with their learning.

Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

49

FOOD & BEVERAGE |

Drinking Water Options

How safe is your school’s water supply?

In New Zealand, we tend to take for granted our access to clean drinking water. But contamination does happen - and can have extremely serious consequences.

In August, some Dunedin schools had to close access to their water fountains after it was found that untreated “raw” water had entered the drinking water network. Water tankers were dispatched to George St Normal School and Logan Park High School until the drinking water network could be declared safe.

And in May, E. coli was found in the drinking water for two schools on Waiheke Island, Te Huruhi Primary School and Waiheke High School. Both schools draw water from the same bore, and

Te Huruhi has an additional roof collection system. In the Waiheke case, staff and students escaped illness, but E. coli-related illness can be very serious for children and those with weaker immune systems. Symptoms include severe stomach cramps, diarrhoea, vomiting and fever.

In all cases, the schools concerned had to wait until three clear tests had been returned about a week - before they could start using their regular supply again.

Clean, safe water must be provided at schools, especially for drinking. Schools are either on town water supply or ‘selfsupplying’. In a self-supplying school, the school’s board of trustees (BOT) is responsible for ensuring that drinking water is safe.

Specifically, this means ensuring that drinking water is freely available to staff and students, being vigilant in protecting everyone from drinking unsafe water, and taking adequate steps to prevent corrosion metals in drinking water. In town schools, the responsibility for provision of safe water lies with local authorities.

If your school’s water does become unsafe to drink, you are required to stop people drinking it, for example, by putting up notices saying ‘unfit for drinking’.

You then need to take immediate steps to make the water safe.

This may mean contacting your local council, or correcting the issue yourself if you are a selfsupplying school.

If your entire water supply system breaks down, it becomes a priority one urgent, health and safety project, which can be paid for through your five year agreement funding.

How much water does your school need?

Most schools have drinking fountains, and the requirement is at least one bubble fountain (or similar) for every 60 students.

All schools are required to store at least 20 days’ supply of drinking water at the rate of four litres per person, per day.

The rate for normal use is at least 23 litres per person, per day.

50

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

Checking for corrosion metals Some heavy metals get into water through metal pipes corroding. It builds up when water sits in the pipes overnight.

Make sure all drinking taps are run briefly before the start of school. This is usually done by your caretaker.

Keeping roof water safe Schools harvesting rain water from the roof need to be mindful that their water supply can become contaminated by birds and animals as well as corrosive materials from flaking paint, for example.

Ministry advice for keeping risk of contamination to a minimum includes: •

Cutting back trees from your roof

•

Making sure your roof and guttering is clean

•

Using lead-free materials

•

Keeping your roof in good repair

Waterborne disease According to the MOH, the most common illness associated with contaminated water supplies is gastroenteritis.

Drinking Water Options

| FOOD & BEVERAGE

Purified water from the school drinking fountain Davey Water Products supply Microlene fountains to schools, purified drinking water accessible from either a free standing or wall mounted fountain.

This is usually caused by a virus, and symptoms include diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

Common viruses are rotavirus and adenovirus but there are many others.

Because there are many viruses that cause it, a child can get gastroenteritis more than once.

Water for life, water for learning As well as being an essential ingredient for good health, water makes a great topic for inquiry.

In a programme run by Christchurch City Council, schools can visit a water pumping station to investigate the importance of valuing water as a precious resource.

Students can compare water use around the world and view the various pump station

components. At the end of the programme, students are given a range of problem solving and reinforcement activities, and can continue their learning at school with a water diary and maths challenge.

In Auckland, schools can visit Watercare for free, class-based lessons suitable for students in years one to eight.

types of fountains can be adapted to also offer jug, bottle and glass filling platforms.

There is even an octagonal drinking fountain.

The Microlene system reduces the amount of unwanted contaminants in the water including chlorine, pesticides, sulphur, rust algae, odours, asbestos, aluminium, lead and also filters sediment and cysts such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium. The water passes through a cartridge and emerges safe to drink and pleasant tasting. Both

The premium model also includes a KDF media layer to reduce the load on the activated carbon to give a working life of up to three years, unlike standard carbon filters that require replacement every three to six months.

Davey Water Products designs, builds and sells products for transfer, conservation, treatment and filtration of water.

Younger students find out where their water comes from, how it is treated, and how it gets to their homes by participating in a drama activity where they become water drops and go on a journey.

the easiest way to clean, healthy water

And older students can find out how much water it takes to fill a bath, wash their clothes and clean their dishes as well as how much water is used in Auckland on a daily basis.

By Anna Clements, Editor

Fountain

Chillers

Freestanding and Wall Mounted • Ideal for schools • Chillers connect to the main water supply and are fully automatic in operation • Automatic water flow control bubbler • Glass/Bottle filler tap • Chilled water reserve tank • All chillers include Microlene© water purifier Iron Stone • Colour selection

Wall Mounted Unit (MPWM)

Stainless Steel

www.dayveynz.co.nz

09 570 9135 sales@daveynz.co.nz

Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

51

HEALTH & SAFETY |

Wellbeing

Using mindfulness to build resilience There is a lot of talk about New Zealand’s appalling rate of youth suicide, currently the worst in the developed world. What can schools do to help?

are linked to youth suicide. They are also better able to fend off depression and anxiety.”

Teacher feedback is extremely positive with many reporting increased academic gains as an unexpected by-product. “The class I was working with the other day used mindful movements breathing circles prior to their weekly five minute basic facts test, and 75 per cent of them achieved their best scores ever,” says Genée Crowley, associate principal of Baverstock Oaks School in Auckland.

Sir Peter Gluckman, the prime minister’s chief science advisor, says youth suicide is more than a mental health issue and that the prevention methods need to begin very early in life.

“This means promoting resilience to the inevitable exposure to emotional stresses and building self-control skills in early childhood and primary school years. It means promoting mental health awareness and ensuring that there are competent and adequate adult and peer support systems in secondary schools. This must be backed up by a capacity to find and rapidly support those children and

Using mindfulness to build resilience young adults who are in mental distress and ensuring that the needed interventions and therapy are early and effective.”

It is heartening, therefore, to learn that many schools are introducing programmes to help students build resilience. One of these is

BECOME A PAUSE, BREATHE, SMILE SCHOOL Integrate mindfulness with professional learning and development in New Zealand’s curriculum-aligned, evidence-based mindfulness in schools programme. È È È È

Increases student wellbeing Reduces stress & anxiety Supports staff wellbeing Improves learner’s resilience

the Pause, Breathe, Smile (PBS) mindfulness programme, now running in more than 200 primary, intermediate and secondary schools in New Zealand.

PBS is an evidence-based programme aligned to the New Zealand curriculum and supported by the Mental Health Foundation.

It is taught in schools by teachers, counsellors, social workers and healthcare workers who have trained with the Mindfulness Education Group.

Delivery of PBS varies according to the age of students but the outcomes are the same; students gain resilience, focus, self awareness, conflict resolution skills and are better able to stay calm in the face of stress.

“These skills are essential for children and teenagers to manage the emotional stresses of growing up” says PBS founder Grant Rix. “Research shows that PBS can help curb impulsive behaviours and a lack of coping strategies that

And even the youngest students can name the benefits of practising PBS. “I noticed that mindful breathing helps me think properly.”

“Other children should do PBS because it’s going to make you more calm… and more like, you won’t lose friends that much… cause you’ll use it, and you’ll feel more calm, and you’ll have more friends.”

“Mindfulness can help children with their learning because sometimes they might feel very bored and unconcentrated and they might just do silly things like cut their work to pieces and when they do PBS they become focused, and they just do their work.”

The PBS training pathway includes self-paced online learning in mindfulness, a one-day workshop to learn the programme, and short tutorial videos to help with lesson prep when delivering PBS in the classroom. * All images courtesy of Baverstock Oaks School and Carmen Bird Photography

BOOK NOW FOR 2018 -2(3|1-2&(<£2'99'&<$!ধ32W2A Have our team come to you* or register individual teachers for one of our workshops *Minimum base rate applies

1-2&(<£2'99'&<$!ধ32W2A

52

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

Teachers using the Pause, Breathe, Smile programme report their students are focusing and performing better

Fitness

| SPORTS & RECREATION

Peddling to success via the school bike track A bicycle is so much more than a frame and wheels.

Cycling is life-enhancing - a fun form of exercise and a mode of transport all in one.

For Kiwi kids, learning to ride a bike used to be a rite of passage.

Getting your first bike signalled freedom and excitement. Kids with bikes could travel independently to meet friends much more quickly than on foot, and enjoy the special kind of fun that is biking with friends.

But during the past 25 years, there has been a dramatic fall in biking by primary school children in New Zealand. A 2015 Ministry of Transport survey revealed that between 1990 and 2014, the average amount of time that primary age children spent biking had fallen from 28 minutes a week to just four minutes. Many children today do not ever experience the joy of biking or the social and health benefits attached.

Bikes in Schools is a programme set up to reverse this trend. It’s run

by Bike on New Zealand Charitable Trust as a way to help children learn to bike and start riding on a regular basis.Since the programme kicked off in 2010, primary schools around the country have been lining up to access support and advice from the charity in order to build a track and bicycle storage, buy good quality bikes and

Images supplied by Paul McArdle, Bike on New Zealand Charitable Trust. helmets, and access a cycling skills programme.

Bikes in Schools co-founder Paul McArdle says that schools that have implemented the programme are reporting significant benefits to students. “Fitness, health, confidence, self-esteem have been huge benefits and then, as children have become good at cycling they suddenly seem to become good at swimming or their school work.”

Health benefits Independent research by the Eastern Institute of Technology tracked the impact of Bikes in Schools at three schools for two years. Teachers reported many physical benefits including; increased physical fitness, motor skills and coordination, and

Data collected for each of the schools demonstrated that the percentage of obese children dropped from 2011 to 2012. This went against the national trend, which was an increase of two per cent.

James St School in Whakatane implemented Bikes in Schools in 2013. “We thought anything that would be beneficial for our children and would give them another range of skills and another option of activity would be well worthwhile so our Board of Trustees was approached and they just grasped it with both hands,” says principal Norah Shreiber.

“This is the best opportunity I’ve seen for decades,” says Judy Turner, from the Bay of Plenty District Health Board. “By bringing bikes into schools and storing them at school, it means that kids who don’t get a chance to ride to school or who don’t have a bike at home, now have access to a bike, a track to ride it on, some supervision and lessons. It’s just gold.”

Initial outlay is estimated at $175 per child and schools pay the track installation costs from their five year agreement funding.

Some schools have been helped by local district councils, district health boards, charities, trusts and their PTA groups. The Ministry of Education suggests that schools also approach ACC for help with funding.

this was supported by the data collected, which showed an increase in estimated VO2max (a measure of aerobic fitness).

Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

53

SPORTS & RECREATION |

Sports

We should be cautious about the assumed educational value of sport

What kids really learn through playing sport Sport is massive and it’s everywhere: on TV, in video games, and on the streets. As a consequence, myths about the inherent greatness of sport have grown. One such myth is the belief that sport itself is ideally suited to help disadvantaged young people develop “socially” and “psychologically”.

And that sport is capable of teaching “teamwork” or “leadership”.

We frequently hear such phrases as “rugby teaches discipline” or “football teaches teamwork”.

And what these sentences have in common is the assumption that there is an inherent, almost magical, quality in both rugby and football.

On the basis of this assumption, disadvantaged young people are encouraged to join youth sport programmes which use sport as an educational tool. The goal of these programmes – which are frequently run by charities – is

54

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

Many children enjoy the sense of belonging found through participation in sport to develop young people into “good citizens” by teaching them “life skills” – like teamwork or discipline.

Unfortunately though it isn’t quite that simple.

The value of sport While hearing someone say “rugby teaches leadership” does not sound jarring, if one of your friends were to suggest that “finger painting teaches leadership”, you

would probably stare at them in disbelief.

The source of this disbelief stems from what have become common sense understandings about the value of sport.

Sports

These understandings are that sport “naturally” teaches “leadership”, “teamwork”, or “critical thinking”.

we should be cautious about the assumed educational value of rugby (or any other sport) over any other activity – like finger painting.

In turn, these common sense understandings have become deeply entrenched in the way society values sport. Although there is evidence that sport – when delivered appropriately – can help young people develop, the picture is more complex.

But despite all this, charities frequently document cases of young people developing life skills such as confidence and determination through sport. The voluntary sector is certainly not making these results up, so as part of my PhD research I wanted to explore this link between sport and young people’s development.

I interviewed coaches and young people (aged 12-15) at a youth sports charity as well and I observed coaching sessions.

For instance, one of the most popular perceptions about the value of team sports is that they teach teamwork. But what about when young players become frustrated at team mates for having inferior technical and tactical skills?

It may well be that not a great deal of teamwork is being learned when these proficient players make less skilled team mates feel inadequate and unwelcome because of their limited ability. And this is why

The young people I spoke to highlighted their devotion for their coaches because they felt these adults cared about them as human beings. Coaches established a relationship summarised by a young girl as: “It’s not ‘you respect me’, it’s an ‘I respect you, you respect me’ thing.

It was clear that the young people also loved the activity they did.

They loved playing a particular sport alongside a particular coach.

Young people also expressed why having a sense of belonging mattered to them. They liked the environment of their coaching sessions and felt welcome. It was a space where they could participate in an activity they enjoyed, with people they liked, all the while feeling part of something bigger.

Through observing and talking to young people and their coaches, I found that while sport itself does not improve young people’s development, the “hidden” variables of passion, relationships and a sense of belonging, genuinely do. So when it comes to young people’s social and psychological development, the focus should not be on which sport to play, but on how sport is used.

| SPORTS & RECREATION

If a youth sport programme focuses on unlocking young people’s passion, developing meaningful relationships and fostering a sense of belonging, these programmes can be extraordinarily powerful.

What this means is that sport can be a great educational tool, but so can many other interests or pursuits.

And instilling passion, relationships, and a sense of belonging is something any activity – such as finger painting or stamp collecting – can achieve.

As the saying goes “it’s not what you do, it’s the way that you do it”, and that couldn’t be more apparent.

This article first appeared on The Conversation

By Ioannis Costas Battle, PhD Researcher in Education, University of Bath.

Rugby doesn’t “teach leadership” any more than finger painting Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

55

PROPERTY |

Shade Protection

Clever use of shade to keep your school sun-safe After enduring what was apparently the coldest winter in New Zealand since 2009, we’re all glad to see the sun making a more frequent appearance. Exposure to sunlight boosts our mood and energy levels, and helps to regulate the circadian rhythm. All good so far.

The trick is to keep exposure to sunlight to a healthy level, one that allows for the mood-boosting and production of vitamin D without risking sunburn or eye damage. For although we have learned a lot about keeping safe in the sun, New Zealanders are still more at risk of developing skin cancer than inhabitants of almost every other country.

There’s more to it than the high levels of UV radiation during the months of daylight savings. New Zealand is very close to the hole that forms in the ozone layer over the South Pole each summer and we like to spend a lot of time outdoors.

To counter this, many schools require or encourage students to wear sunscreen and hats during the the summer terms. However, provision of shade is important too. Being able to find shade is essential in staying safe on sunny days, and provision of shade is required for schools to attain SunSmart status from the Cancer Society.

Choosing the most appropriate shade covers for your school’s outdoor areas will depend on the regional climate, intended use (sports courts or playground, for example) as well as budget.

Shade can be natural, from trees or shrubs, or built - pergolas, shade sails, canopies and awnings.

Students tend to be outside eating lunch or playing exactly when the ultraviolet index (UVI) is at its highest and for this reason, shaded spaces are recommended for areas where students eat, and over playgrounds, queueing spaces and courts. If your school budget allows, consider too the possibility of shading over walkways and of an outdoor teaching space.

To achieve the SunSmart seal of approval, protective shades must be constructed from high quality UVR barrier shading material, and be positioned to shade students as the sun moves across the sky.

The view of the open sky should also be restricted and this can be achieved by keeping the edges

low. To reduce “sky view” further, schools can use landscaping, planting and trees.

Consider how long your students are likely to be sitting beneath the shaded areas and whether they are likely to be wearing hats and sunscreen. Schools enforcing use of hats and sunscreen may be able to use shade with a lower UV protection factor and still secure SunSmart status.

The design of shade needs to be appropriate for the intended use and the micro-climate of the location. In order to shield the direct sun, seasonal daily sun‐ paths must be plotted and the shading material carefully chosen.

A 2016 study commissioned by the Health Promotion Agency (HPA) investigated how well shade canopies provide UVR protection for their users.

supplier profile 0800 SUNSHADE

Sunsmart Solutions Many of you know 0800 Sunshade as a quality and reliable supplier of shade sails.

While shade sails are a large and important part of our business it is not all we do well. We have a huge range of products that offer superior weather protection for all seasons.

They include: Ziptrak® Clear or Mesh Outdoor Screens – suitable for all seasons and excellent at ensuring you can use more of your outdoor space, whatever the weather!

Shade Structures - Great for playgrounds, walkways, seating areas and grandstand coverage.

56

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

Moveable and Fixed Arm Umbrellas – Instant shade when and where you need it.

Sandpit Covers – Get a custom made sandpit cover that is easy to remove, store and place.

0800 Sunshade is New Zealand’s leading manufacturer and installer of high-quality outdoor weather protection products including: Shade Sails | Outdoor Screens | Shade Structures Umbrellas | Awnings | Service & Maintenance

As an innovator and manufacturer of outdoor fabric and weather protection products we can also custom-design and build to your unique requirements. We are the ‘weather protection solutions’ people!

CALL F FREE SHOR A ASSESS ADE MENT

0800 786 742 www.sunshade.co.nz

Shade Protection

| PROPERTY

Pinehurst School

Be SunSmart: 99% UV Protection

St Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School Mairangi Bay

Sunnybrae Normal School

Dairy Flat School

Key benefits:

Outdoor Living Solutions

No need for sun hats under our canopies!

Fresco Shades have custom designed outdoor canopies for Auckland schools and pre-schools for 1 years.

A Fresco canopy provides sun and rain protection for students and staff alike.

v Extend your usable space v Shade in summer and sheltered areas for students all year round v Keep classrooms cooler in summer and increase productivity! v Strong PVC roof blocks 99% of all UV rays v Modern curved shape enhances any environment v Great for pools, walkways, entrances and school shops v NEW netball court canopies for increased protection We have many delighted customers in the educational sector, and would be happy to provide references on request.

For an obligation free quote, please call (09) 443 3414 or 0800 Fresco (0800 373 726) $ nnn%]i\jZfj_X[\j%Zf%eq

Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

57

PROPERTY |

Shade Protection

In Auckland, Rotorua and Wellington, designers considered shade for UVR protection as secondary to the need for shelter from the rain and wind. Designing canopies for all weather allows

the shelter to be used day and night (useful for school events) and all year around. For the hot summers of Auckland and Christchurch, architects chose shading materials which

SHADE SAILS – UMBRELLAS – ARCHED CANOPIES

transmitted little or no heat, such as architectural textile and painted mild steel. Spaces were also cooled by opening the sides to breezes.

Comparison of the case studies highlighted the complex issues in creating sun‐safe environments at summer pools. “These pools are used when UVR levels are extreme, often by scantily clad teenagers for all-day swimming sports and weekend recreation.

Small shade sails typically provide low protection. The provision of PF 15+ shade which would give all‐day protection should be high priority for outdoor pools in New Zealand.”

Shading materials need to be chosen with care. The Cancer Society recommends a 94 percent barrier to UVR.

Many sunshade fabrics can be stretched over frames or tensioned, as ‘sails’, between poles. Horticultural shade-cloth offers lower protection and is not recommended. As UVR protection ratings for translucent sheeting and shade fabrics vary widely, it is important to check with the manufacturer’s specifications before choosing a material.

The Cancer Society of New Zealand runs the SunSmart Schools Programme. The programme provides information for students, teachers and parents on how to be SunSmart and how to make your school a safe place for students and its community.

Free resources available to schools include posters, brochures and videos, teaching plans and activity books.

Contact our friendly team today to see how we can help protect your students from harmful UV Rays.

0800 742 332

| mark@shadecraft.co.nz

www.shadecraft.co.nz

58

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

0274 319 979 | shade@weatherwise.co.nz | weatherwise.co.nz

Heat Pumps

| PROPERTY

Heat pumps – great for summer and winter As summer approaches, the last thing we may want to think about is the school’s heating system. However, it can be a good time to strike a bargain for installing heat pumps and given that these can also be used as a cooling system, it may in fact be a great time to consider an upgrade.

Air conditioning units and heat pumps are both considered heating systems as they transfer (or pump) heat from inside the structure to the outside to cool indoor temperatures.

The system which will work most eff iciently in your school will depend on the aspect and condition of the buildings and the local climate.

Older-style buildings with poor insulation lose indoor heat much more quickly than modern schools which face north, and will therefore require a bigger pump system to overcome heat loss.

More powerful heat pump systems are also required in areas where temperatures drop below zero in winter (most of the South

Island) than in regions with more temperate climates.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) advises that the most costeffective time to improve energy performance is at the design stage of a new building.

You can then make decisions on which heating and cooling systems to use in terms of their “whole-of-life” cost. Whole-of-life considers the costs and benefits of getting the best performance, reliability and safety over the life of an asset.

“The best value for money might be in a high-performance building ‘envelope’. In this way, energy eff iciency is incorporated in every aspect of the building design.

The aim is to reduce the need for heating and cooling as much as possible.”

When deciding whether to replace or upgrade an asset, advice from the Ministry is to weigh up immediate costs where a cheaper option might save money in the short term against long-term sustainability and savings where a more eff icient option might result in bigger savings over time through lower running costs and long-term sustainability.

THE PERFECT FIT FOR SCHOOLS • INSTALLER ACCREDITATION PROGRAMME TO ENSURE QUALITY HEAT PUMP INSTALLATIONS • NATIONAL SERVICE SUPPORT, INCLUDING NZ’S LONGEST MANUFACTURER’S WARRANTY • LEGENDARY ENERGY EFFICIENCY • EXTENSIVE CONTROL OPTIONS, TO SUIT UNIQUE SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS

Fit the finest for your school

F2299

Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

59

PROPERTY |

Heat Pumps

School News asked industry insiders, Panasonic, Fujitsu and Daikin, for pointers.

ventilation as a solution, but ventilation as part of the air conditioning system is possible.

Considerations need to be made to ensure that energy is not wasted by the air conditioning unit running while windows are open.

Which brand?

The first thing is to get a trusted brand, and secondly a trustworthy installer, says Darren Hayward, from Panasonic. “They will ensure you get the correctly-sized unit and the correct type of unit for the space. There are many options and a good installer will ask you the right questions to suggest the best fit for purpose product.”

push for Greenstar and NABERS builds,” says Amir Khosravi from Daikin. “Ask your supplier about new technology that will help your school keep temperatures comfortable and power bills to a minimum.”

Noise levels

Efficiency

“Air conditioning systems are always improving driven by ever improving MEPS and EECA requriements and the global

60

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

Bigger capacity heat pumps make more noise than smaller units as noise is directly related to the amount of air that the pump is moving. To produce more heat, bigger capacity units need to move more air hence the higher noise level. As sound is related to the amount of air movement, a heat pump will produce more noise on a high fan speed than

a low one. High fan speed is usually in action when the heat pump is starting up as it works to get the room to the required temperature. The fan slows down as the room temperature gets close to optimum temperature. A heat pump that’s too small for the space will be louder for longer.

The noise of the heat pump will also be louder in a space with hard surfaces and few furnishings, and will be much reduced at a distance.

What’s new in air conditioning systems?

Ventilation

Fujitsu’s WiFi-enabled heat pumps can be controlled from anywhere via smartphone or tablet. That means you can switch it on or control the temperature before school opens for the day, and have it at a comfortable temperature by the time staff and students arrive. Panasonic also offer Econavi technology which uses sensors to reduce energy waste. With NanoeG filtration, the air is purified as well.

Some designers opt for natural

By Anna Clements, Editor

AIR CONDITIONING

Cool your school with a Panasonic Heat Pump BONUS Purchase 2x Heat Pump Units and receive a BONUS TZ80 camera valued at $600

BONUS Purchase 6x Heat Pump Units and receive a BONUS VW350 projector valued at $1999

Keep students warm in winter, and cool in summer!

Simply contact aircon@nz.panasonic.com to find your nearest dealer for a quote or to redeem your gifts.

T&Cs apply. Purchase before 28th February 2018 to qualify for a free gift!

PROPERTY |

Tractors & Mowers

Getting the right mower for your school will depend on the size of the playing fields - and the school’s budget, but there are some simple pointers you can use to make the process easier.

Ride on mowers There are so many ride-on mowers on the market that choosing one is up there with buying a new car.

Catch, side discharge or mulch?

The first decision is whether to choose a mower with a catch, side discharge or mulcher. As a rule, catching will give you the cleanest finish, while side discharge leaves a slightly messier finish but keeps

62

schoolnews Term 4 - 2017

mowing time down. Mulching can achieve both objectives, a great finish and no messy clippings, but must be done in the correct conditions.

For the best mulching results, choose a mulching mower over a mulching attachments as these shred the clippings more effectively. Mulching works well if you mow often and want a pristine lawn. The finely chopped grass clippings fertilise the lawn and help make it more drought resistant.

Flat or hills?

If the school’s fields are flat, any ride on is suitable. But many school fields contain slopes and hills in which case the ride on will need to have a low centre of gravity to ensure it doesn’t tip.

Another consideration is the length of the grass that requires mowing. Spring and autumn growth can cause grass to take off and a lightweight ride-on mower won’t cope well with a heavy load.

Long grass can cause the cutting

deck to block up or even strain components or a belt to breaking point. A more heavy duty machine is a better investment for these conditions.

Engine It’s important to ensure that the size of the engine is right for the job. If you choose a mower with an engine that's too small for the job, you won't get a long life out of it.

The brand of engine is important, too. Choose a brand which can be easily serviced and for which

Tractors & Mowers

replacement parts are readily available so any downtime can be kept to a minimum.

Horsepower (hp) can be deceiving. Shaft drive mowers that are zero turn will use power more eff iciently than their competition giving you better fuel eff iciency.

Also consider whether the engine is rated at net (or 'critical') horsepower, or gross horsepower, as this differs by brand and can lead to overrated hp figures.

What’s the torque about?

Ride-on mowers have ratings for horsepower, displacement and torque. Horsepower is what makes the machine move forward and accelerate under normal conditions. If you have hills, or you want to tow a trailer full of heavy stones, you’ll need more horsepower. Torque is a force, the power generated by the engine that gives a machine its ‘grunt’ to turn the blades, and to keep turning them under stresses like long, wet grass. The higher the torque, the better the performance

| PROPERTY

under strain. If your lawn is flat, your speed consistent and the lawn will be mowed regularly, you don’t need to pay for as much horsepower or torque as someone whose lawn is steep or who is going to be mowing rougher areas of lawn.

Which brand?

Grass is different around the world. What works well on an English lawn or an American field may struggle with the short, often wet grass of New Zealand.

Choosing a mower with a long history in New Zealand will mean that it’s been designed for or been adapted for Kiwi conditions.

Transmission A ride on mower with hydrostatic transmission is much easier to operate than a lawn tractor with manual transmission.

Mower users are able to change directions even in many challenging corners or tight spaces, and the mowers function well in both wet and dry conditions. On the other hand,

hydrostatic mowers can be as much as double the cost of normal gear-driven mowers.

Tractors As you can imagine, there is also a vast array of choices for tractors here in Godzone. And again, the right tractor for your school will depend on what you’re wanting to do with it.

Clinton Russell, director of Truck & Tractor Services in Rotorua, offers the following advice: “Tractors are great for big lawns, you can attach a big mower and do the job much more quickly than with a ride-on mower. So if your school’s got rugby fields, you’ll find a tractor much more

eff icient. A school tractor will need turf tyres rather than big lugs which will damage the grass.

“A tractor will also give you a lot more flexibility than a mower; you can spread fertiliser, use spikes to aerate the soil, use a front-end loader to dig up the garden, and tow a trailer to chuck rubbish into as you go.

“The main thing is to have someone nearby who is capable of servicing and maintaining the brand you choose. They can be very expensive to maintain if you let things get out of hand. We advise a full service every 250 hours of use or every 12 months, whichever comes first.”

By Anna Clements, Editor

Choosing the right mower for your school fields AGCO is the global manufacturer and distributor of a number of brands including Iseki and Massey Ferguson. These two brands have been supplied to customers by locally owned dealerships throughout New Zealand for more than 50 years.

AGCO spokesman Peter Scott says mowing equipment popular with schools include the Iseki range of commercial grass cutting and catching machines, particularly the SF out-front mower range, the SZ Zero turn range, the SXG catcher range and the TG range of compact

and utility tractors with optional mowers and loaders. The other very popular brand is Massey Ferguson, particularly the GC range of compact tractors with optional loaders and mowers, and the 2600 range of utility tractors with optional front end loaders.

Mr Scott advises schools to consider the level of finish they are trying to achieve. “They should also consider the cost of ownership; a cheaper built machine or a machine not built to handle particular conditions will inevitably cost more in the long run with downtime, repairs and premature replacement.”

All AGCO dealerships are have to meet high standards of after sales support to attain accreditation.

The Massey Ferguson MF-2600

Term 4 - 2017 schoolnews

63

BIG OUTPUT

WHENEVER YOU NEED IT.

MF GC1700 SERIES 22.5 – 24.5 HP

COMPACT SIZE The MF GC1700 Series offers big performance and versatility from a compact tractor with strong traction and pulling power. The integrated hydraulic control plus mid and rear PTO allow this compact workhorse to be fitted with a range of attachments.

$12,995* ex.GST CONTACT YOUR LOCAL MASSEY FERGUSON DEALER TODAY * Price refers to tractor only.

MASSEYFERGUSON.CO.NZ | FREECALL 0800 825 872 MASSEY FERGUSON®, MF®, the triple-triangle logo® is a worldwide brand of AGCO. © 2017.

FOR SHARPER

PERFORMANCE

ISEKI TG6000 SERIES

36 – 47 HP THE SLEEK ALL-ROUNDER Iseki TG Series gives you the edge to take on a range of jobs. 100% Japanese built quality allows you to lift, pull, shift – all with confidence.

FEATURES: • Electronically controlled hydrostatic or Electro-hydraulic Power Shuttle transmissions • Factory fitted loader controls and hydraulics • 2 rear auxiliary valves standard with 47.7 l/min hydraulic system • Folding ROPS or air-conditioned cabin

BE SHARP! CONTACT YOUR LOCAL ISEKI DEALER. FREECALL 0800 825 872.

ISEKI.C OM.AU

A world of experience. Working with you.