SchoolNews, NZ - Term 2, 2021 by Multimedia AU/NZ

SchoolNews The essential industry guide

Issue 53 | Term 2, 2021 | NZD $12 incl GST | schoolnews.co.nz

Special Report

Op-Ed: The similarity between children and bamboo

Teaching Resources

Science safety for the classroom Sports & Recreation

On the surface of sport Essential Reading for Principals • Department Heads • Teachers • Professionals

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School News is distributed to primary, secondary and intermediate schools throughout New Zealand by Multimedia Publishing Limited. The views and images expressed in School News do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. The information contained in School News 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.

Inside our term two issue Front Desk Editor's Note: What does teaching promise?...................... 05

Education Special Report:

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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 fact check 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. 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. © 2021 Multimedia Publishing Ltd. It is an infringement of copyright to reproduce in any way all or part of this publication without the written consent of the publisher.

PO Box 5104, Papanui, Christchurch, 8542, NZ Phone: (03) 365 5575 Fax: (03) 365 1655 mail@schoolnews.co.nz www.schoolnews.co.nz ISSN: 2624-2389 (Print) ISSN: 2624-2397 (Digital)

EDITOR Rosie Clarke, editor@schoolnews.co.nz INDUSTRY REPORTERS Heather Barker Vermeer DESIGN & PRODUCTION Richard McGill, production@schoolnews.co.nz ADVERTISING Dee Dawson, advertising@schoolnews.co.nz CONTRIBUTORS Richard Crawford, Richard Wallis and Warren Owen

Teaching promise and possibility first...................................... 06 Principal Speaks: Shining a light of equity on grouping students by ability.................................................... 10 Op-Ed: The similarity between children and bamboo.............................................................................................. 14

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 commercially funded advertorial but may be included as relevant opinion. Happy reading!

No need to ‘shush’ in this library.................................................. 16 Empowering teachers, expanding knowledge................... 18

Teacher's Desk Case Study: Literacy journeys of discovery through PLD.............................................................................................. 22

Teaching Resources Science classroom safety design................................................ 24 Mathematics practice makes progress................................... 28 SchoolNews Classroom Resources Directory................... 29

EOTC Don’t let your camp become a horror story......................... 30 EOTC opportunities to explore in

and around Rotorua............................................................................. 32

Property Case Study: Growing food resilience....................................... 35 Show the way in reducing waste................................................ 36 Need to Know: Pool heating requirements for your school......................................................................................... 38 Case Study: Rival school grounds maintained by same professional team............................................................. 42

Health & Safety Don’t let floor safety ‘slip’.................................................................. 44

Sport & Recreation Sport participation impacts mental health........................... 46 On the surface of sport...................................................................... 50 Case Study: Creo transforms daily life at Balclutha Primary School........................................................... 52

KEY Commercially funded supplier profile or supplier case study

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36 FRONT DESK

area at Mountview School!............................................................. 53 Case Study: PlaytopNZ achieves brilliant result at Somerfield School............................................................. 54

Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

Kia ora! As this issue goes to print, news headlines in the national education sphere include: conflicting reports around food waste as part of the government’s revamped school lunch programme; parents kicking up a fuss about one Auckland private school’s in-classroom jacket-wearing ban; an exploding number of wait-list enquiries following the announcement that Hawke’s Bay’s last fully private school, Hereworth will soon enroll girls; and troubling staff wellbeing concerns gain traction at St Peter’s School following the mysterious absence of Executive Principal Dale Burden and his wife, Deputy Principal Yevette Williams. In this issue of School News, Heather Barker Vermeer has penned a fantastic special report (page 06), speaking exclusively with current Ako Mātātupu Teach First NZ cohort teacher

Rosie Clarke,

Editor, SchoolNews editor@schoolnews.co.nz

Airana Ngarewa, who is a national martial arts champion across many disciplines. Airana shares an inspiring story about his paternal grandmother, Colleen Ngarewa, who was the school janitor, become teacher, become Principal, at Pātea Primary School. The story may prompt you to consider why we become teachers, and how our own journeys as young learners affects our teaching practice. Fairfield College Principal Richard

Crawford is entering his 10th year in the role, and in this issue’s Principal Speaks column (page 10) he takes us through his ‘journey of many paths’. Reflecting on how the importance of relationships shone through the challenges of COVID-19, Richard explores the way in which grouping students by ability is so often an unchallenged aspect of teaching practice. “Our current education system works for some but not all,” he says. Does your school group students by ability? How might this impact learning opportunities? What are some alternatives? Richard’s journey may help you answer some of these questions as he describes the process undertaken in the last year to make meaningful change in his school community. Elsewhere this issue, we showcase a wide array of solution-focussed feature articles. Beginning with some discussion of library refurbishment innovations for technology-savvy

school offerings (page 16), and discussion around the funding refresher taking place this year for regionally allocated PLD (page 18), plus advice on safe science classroom designs (page 24), navigating mathematics pedagogy (page 28), avoiding school camp horror stories (page 30), and reducing school waste with systemic efficiency and composting (pages 35-37). We spotlight Rotorua this issue as well, locating some of the educational opportunities available there for school visits. Seen by many as the nation’s cultural capital, Rotorua’s many traditional Māori experiences educate and delight visitors, while rich natural landscapes, arts, activities, and adventures abound. What EOTC do you have planned this year? Write in and let us know so we can feature your school!

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FRONT DESK

EDITOR'S NOTE

What does teaching promise?

SPECIAL REPORT

Teaching promise and possibility ﬁrst By Heather Barker Vermeer Industry Reporter

Current Ako Mātātupu Teach First NZ cohort teacher Airana Ngarewa is a national martial arts champion across many disciplines. He’s hung up his gi in favour of taking his sporting drive much further than the mat. Growing up in the small town of Pātea in Taranaki, Airana was such a regular visitor to his principal’s office that the adjoining hallway where he spent many hours during his school years waiting, became known as ‘Airana’s Hallway’.

“She studied to become a teacher and went on to become the principal at that school.”

High school wasn’t a place where I could thrive, with my unique temperament and skills,” he smiles.

Witnessing her rise had a profound impact…

He excelled at sport and followed his mother’s interest in martial arts – she won national and Australasian titles and was selected to compete at the Kyokushin Karate world championships.

“She’s a very, very powerful figure in my life. She had stroke before I was born and has been soldiering on for over 26 years: half her body is paralysed, but her mana wahine and her spirit are still alive.” Airana attended Hāwera Intermediate and High School where his interest at school lay purely in P.E. “Twenty years ago, the education system was a little more traditional.

An injury sadly side-lined her, meaning she was unable to live out that dream. Airana was a 2016 Manawatu Young Sportsman of the Year finalist and achieved an incredible haul of six national martial arts titles across karate, Brazilian ju-jitsu,

“It’s safe to say I was not a good pupil at school! I was a very troubled student,” he recalls. His hometown was a place of very low income, with the societal challenges that so often come hand in hand with that – today, the average annual household income is $19,000.

Tae Kwon Do, Kyokushin Karate and Olympic freestyle wrestling. Given his exceptional sporting ability, a school counsellor recommended Airana embark on further study in P.E. “At my mum’s insistence, I was sent away to university straight from school. The counsellor hadn’t considered any other of my aptitudes and passions. I was good at sport, so I should go and study it.” Consequently, he went to Massey University in Palmerston North to study sports science and exercise. “I found myself most interested in sociology and anthropology, however. I didn’t know what I wanted to do: whether I should train to be a personal trainer, a sports coach or try to become a professional athlete – that was certainly on my mind and could have been an option. But I began to become quite disillusioned with the world of sport; it felt like a selfish, individual, thing to do. I’d thought maybe I could help inspire the next generation coming through, but then I started feel it was a bit pointless.”

His paternal grandmother, Colleen Ngarewa, was the school janitor at Pātea Primary School.

Airana Ngarewa

Airana's father and mother with his nephews

Airana on his graduation day with his mum and sisters, Celeste and Waitohu.

EDUCATION

Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

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Looking for something new, a pivotal conversation with his Aunt Nicola combined with this disillusionment of sport, his interest in anthropology and sociology and the teaching influences paving the way within his whanau. Nicola Ngarewa, principal of Pātea Area School, “brought me in to do some admin work at the school,” says Airana. “She brought Ako Mātātupu – this amazing organisation - to my attention. She told me to look into it and it’s been all go since!” Airana ran with the suggestion and dived into a period of intensive training, during which time he developed a rich understanding of his purpose. “There are extended conversations that happen over a summer intensive nine-week introduction to the programme; into study, into education, into transforming the classroom into a place of promise and possibility. It involved reading all the contemporary thinkers on education and come to terms with indigenous pedagogies and ways of seeing the world and thinking.” “One of Ako Mātātupu’s philosophies is, ‘If we can revolutionise initial teacher education, we can transform schooling.’ If the people going into schools are well-read, come in with the right heart, the right intent and the right grit, then schools will transform just by the very fact of their being there.” Airana had developed relationships, and had been having conversations with staff, leadership and students Spotswood College in New Plymouth throughout his training. When he was given a teaching position at the college, he became one of only eight percent of Ako Mātātupu applicants to be accepted onto the two-year initial teacher placement (80 out of every 1000 applicants are chosen onto the programme, says Airana). He has been at the decile five secondary school since the start of 2020 and will officially graduate from Ako Mātātupu in November. He says, “Though the decile is somewhat misrepresented by the actual status of a great many of our learners.” And he hit the ground running – intent on making as positive an impact as he could, as quickly as he could. “In your first year, or your first two years in a school, if you’re in there making changes in the classroom, you’re making changes

licensing stuff is really important to have. He was proud to report that goal we’d put in place had been completed,” he smiles.

Airana’s paternal grandmother, Colleen Ngarewa, was the school janitor at Pātea Primary School; she studied to become a teacher and went on to become school principal

in your students’ lives and you’ll be transforming the school culture. “You’ll be providing not only a positive example for your students on how a teacher should interact with them and the expectations around that, but for your peers as well, and for your leadership. I’ve certainly found that here at Spotswood College. I’ve been taken in very, very warmly and I’ve been offered a plethora of opportunities to present to the staff and visiting schools.” ‘Relationships, relationships, relationships’ are central to Ako Mātātupu’s philosophy, says Airana. “Once you’ve built a really strong connection with your students, once you’ve built a really strong understanding of their life experience, then you can start finding your place in that story of their lives and start connecting their learning to the story of their lives as well. “We have to expect of ourselves [as teachers] that we make an active attempt to ensure that everything we teach is connected to their overall life experience.” Developing strong relationships, understanding, and relevance in order to make the classroom a place of promise and possibility is Airana’s overarching aim. “I love that term, ‘promise and possibility’. It’s easy, in the everyday grind, for us to lose that perspective. It’s easy to get caught

up in the classroom management, in getting the assignments done, in everything that’s expected of a teacher and to forget that this is, optimally, what we want for our kids: to manifest their potential, to carve out a space for them in education, for them to feel at home here, for them to want to be here, to connect their learning to their overall life experience and their interests and aptitudes and passions, to make learning active and immediately meaningful. Rather than telling them it’s going to mean something to you in ten years’ time.” Airana articulates his love of his new profession in a very engaging, eloquent way. The difference he is already making through his mana and his mahi is real and far-reaching. “Teaching is great. Hanging out with the local kids is great. I like to go down to the local basketball court and catch up with the kids there as well. When they see your car pull up, they’ll flood down to come and say hi and shake your hand or give you a hug. “Kids who’ve left the school come down and tell you what they’re up to. I had a boy just yesterday who came over to shake my hand and tell me about the work he was doing now he’d left school. He told me how much harder working was than school; that he was working 60 hours a week and had just got his learners’ licence. This is something we’d put on really fiercely in the classroom – that this

EDUCATION

Airana explains how Spotswood College is a co-ed, co-curricular school, so his specialist subject areas of PE, science and maths are taught in a way that constantly connects with learners’ experience. He feels it’s vital to teach in a way that shows the strengths and importance of subjects in connection with what social scientist and author Paul Willis calls ‘real knowledge’ – the knowledge learners desire and feel they need. “Kids don’t live their lives in very segregated ways, so it doesn’t make sense that their learning is segregated in that manner either,” says Airana. “In order for that learning to be true to life, it has to blur those boundaries, because they are not as strict as some would have you believe.” What used to drive Airana to succeed on the martial arts mat now drives him, not for individual success, but for wider, meaningful change. He says, “My driving force has always been to ask, where do I want to be in order to be able to make the maximum amount of change? How can I best optimise that change-making potential I have and that my learners have? That’s what guides me most and that’s what leads me to jump at these sorts of opportunities, such as this interview, to share the good word and to pay thanks to Spotswood College and Ako Mātātupu for the way they’ve looked after me. And to pay thanks to persons such as yourself, who allow me the opportunity to speak to these sorts of things that aren’t often highlighted in education. Sometimes we focus too much on the political aspects of education, rather than the real meaning making aspect that happens every day in the classroom. “Beyond me, I think it’s important to acknowledge that what Ako Mātātupu is doing in terms of initial teacher education is totally transformative and totally revolutionary.” Transforming and revolutionising young lives is the force for good Airana shares with the organisation that set him on this new path. He, and the young people of Taranaki, are all the richer for it. Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

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PRINCIPAL SPEAKS

Shining a light of equity

on grouping students by ability As I enter my 15th year as a principal and my 10th year as the principal of Fairfield College, the significance of relationships and the building of professional trust continues to be reinforced. This was made even more apparent in 2020. Yes, leading and managing amid the challenges of COVID-19 reinforced the importance of relationships, but it was also the strength of these relationships that enabled us to shine a light on a practice that, up until this point, had existed unchallenged and unchecked. The practice that I refer to is our grouping of students by ability through streaming and setting. The document, ‘He awa ara rau. A journey of many paths’, in

University’s Poutama Pounamu Blended Learning Programme. I vividly recall writing in the margins of ‘Time to raise the gaze: Can I afford to ignore this?’ Similarly, the thoughts of the Iwi’s General Manager of Matauranga/ Education and Pathways, Raewyn Mahara, caused me to reflect even further: Richard Crawford, Principal, Fairfield College

combination with a posting on the Waikato-Tainui website under the title, Imagining an equitable Aotearoa, were significant levers in causing me to critically reflect on Fairfield College’s streaming and setting practices. It was from Waikato-Tainui’s website that I accessed the article, ‘Time to raise the gaze’, which raised further questions, as did my participation in Waikato

Our current education system works for some but not all. So many of our rangatahi get locked out of learning opportunities, and this breaches their rangatiratanga and the ability to determine their own paths. We see it all the time in schools across Aotearoa where our Māori and Pasifika tamariki are being told ‘you can’t do it’, as teachers stream them into low expectation classes with no emphasis on achievement. This old fashioned and

damaging policy is hurting our rangatahi and limiting their opportunities and it is dividing our communities.” Developing a genuine partnership with iwi and mana whenua remains a school priority. The iwi’s thoughts about streaming had been made patently clear. If I were to ignore this, could it not be perceived as our wanting to develop this partnership through a lens of authority where we knew what was best? It was at this stage, that I commenced a deeper literature search about the positives and the negatives of streaming in New Zealand English medium secondary schools. This is a literature search that is ongoing. It does however appear that, from a New Zealand perspective, this is an emerging area of research.

Principal Richard Crawford with students from Fairfield College

EDUCATION

Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

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2014 small scale study based in Christchurch by Hornby and Witte showed that 14 of the 15 participant English medium secondary schools implemented a system of between-class ability grouping. Moreover, it suggested that research on between-class ability grouping did not appear to inform the between-class ability grouping practices of most of the schools in the sample. Hattie’s research argued that streaming has an insignificant impact on student achievement (effect size 0.11). He further argues that one of the most negative impacts of streaming is the profound and negative influence that it has on achieving equity. On September 14, 2020, I convened a meeting with school curriculum leaders and deans to discuss concerns about Fairfield College’s streaming and setting practices. Like other secondary schools, we grouped students by ability in Mathematics, Science, and English at Year 11. At this meeting we discussed a number of data sets, which showed that the number of Māori students in our top set Year 11 subjects did not correlate with the total number of Year 11 Māori students. These patterns were exacerbated at Year 12 and Year 13. What did such patterns say about our commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and equity? The following set of graphs shows that 51 percent of our Year 11 2020 cohort were of Māori ethnicity, yet they made up only 32 percent of our top band mathematics class. This pattern was repeated in English and Science. The discussions that took place at this meeting were a pivotal step towards our decision to considerably reconfigure our

2020 Y11 Mathematics 101 Fairfield College 15

Maths 101 (student number %)

32 09

Maths 101 (student number)

20 12

Student Total Year 11 % 16

Pasifika

streaming and setting practices. This was followed by meetings with the Board of Trustees, students, and whanau. At each of these levels, there were concerns raised about the recommended 2021 refiguring steps. One of these steps was to eliminate the setting practice at Year 11 for Mathematics, Science and English. The main concern was that this would compromise the educational outcomes of those students that were previously placed in the top set classes. Although research in this area is highly contested, a central theme that emerged was that the achievement of average or high ability students in an ability grouped environment was no different to their peers in an environment where students were not grouped by ability. The small gains that may be made were being outweighed by the negative

51 51

Student Total Year 11 0

NZ European

66 60

Māori

impacts that were taking place for students in lower set classes. With the support of our Board, staff, students, and whanau we have reconfigured our Year 11 setting practices. Most of our Year 11 students are now in the same programmes for Mathematics, Science, and English. We acknowledge that changing setting structure by itself will not produce the improved and more equitable outcomes we are seeking. This needs to be supported by teacher professional learning and the continuous development of educationally powerful connections. It is a start. A type of whakaoreore, or an awakening. We look forward to the challenging journey ahead. References Hattie, J. (2015). Professor Hattie on ability grouping [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=m6czhy6kPpc&t=12s

p Design and develo at es om digital outc

129 100

120

140

Total

Hornby, G., & Witte, C. (2014). Ability grouping in New Zealand high schools: Are practices evidencebased? Preventing School Failure, 58(2), 90-95. https://doi.org/10. 1080/1045988X.2013.782531 Johnston, O., & Wildy, H. (2016). The effects of streaming in the secondary school on learning outcomes for Australian students: A review of the international literature. The Australian journal of education, 60(1), 42-59. https://doi. org/10.1177/0004944115626522 Rui, N. (2009). Four decades of research on the effects of detracking reform: Where do we stand?—A systematic review of the evidence. J Evid Based Med, 2(3), 164-183. https:// doi.org/10.1111/j.1756-5391.2009.01032.x Victoria, K. (2020). Time to raise the gaze. Karaka, 85, 18-20. Waikato Tainui. (2020). Imagining an equitable Aotearoa. https:// waikatotainui.com/media_hub-post/ imagining-an-equitable-aotearoa/ Waikato-Tainui, Southern Initiative TSI, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. (2019). He awa ara rau. A journey of many paths. http://www.maorifutures. co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/ He-Awa-Ara-Rau-A-Journey-ofMany-Paths-Nov-2019.pdf

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OPINION EDITORIAL

The similarity between children and bamboo

By Warren Owen, Principal, Waterloo School

Famously, bamboo plants don’t produce a single green shoot for five years but spring up 90 feet high in less than two months… The question commonly asked is whether the plant grows 90 feet in less than two months, or 90 feet in five years? In 1958, then-Headmaster at Wellesley College, William Stevens, presented his annual prize giving address. His gammy leg caused him to limp and thus he earned the nickname, Hoppy. Hoppy Stevens developed legendary status with the boys as someone you didn’t mess with. Later that afternoon, one of the boys managed to pinch Hoppy’s speech. Many years later, at a Wellesley Old Boys’ function, that same student passed Hoppy’s

It is a fine line we as parents and educators walk between developing real independence and not placing too much responsibility on children 1958 speech onto me. Let me share a little of it with you:

Ladies and Gentlemen Parents and teachers of today appear to be mainly concerned with two subjects-the Playway approach to education and Juvenile delinquency. The new freedom of the welfare state has made children increasingly difficult to control, both at home and in school. They talk more, they shout more, they cannot play unless games are organised, they are more destructive,--and what is more, many appear to take pleasure in destruction. The majority of children today

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are not being encouraged to do their best. They are over conscious of their rights and ignorant of their duties.” And so, the speech went on. Well how often do we hear this call of “the youth of today”– Way back in time – 700BC – the Greek poet, Hesiod said: “I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on the youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words—when I was a boy we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly unwise and impatient.”

So, what have we learnt through all these historical sermons? Possibly that nothing much changes and that the enthusiasm and spontaneity of youth combined with their inherent egocentricity drives us all crazy at times. Young children have always tested their teachers and parents. Throw in the increasing complexity of society with the added pressures of social media and at times we all sigh. However, there are some truisms that remain constant. At age five, children come to school with very clear lenses. That is, they filter very little from what comes into their head.

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EDUCATION

Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

They will blurt out just what they are thinking and dreaming. Their writing is truly of their personal voice. Their art can be awesomely beautiful and expressive. Their dance, creative and free! Children are willing to freely express themselves. So, what traditionally happens at school that dries up so much of this personal expression? Where do all those filters come from that inhibit most adults’ ability to express themselves? How often do we as adults alter our original thoughts before we allow the world to view or hear them? How do you marry the need to maintain high standards in education, guarantee strong standards of respectful behaviour and yet foster children’s individuality and creativity? Well in my humble opinion we, parents and teachers alike must consistently look to meaningfully build children’s self-esteem. Having good self-esteem frees up creativity and fosters individuality.

Self-esteem is not about praising mediocrity. Self-esteem grows from recognition of personal effort and achievement. The curriculum must be presented in a relevant and meaningful way which engages the students. Self-esteem and self-worth are closely connected with respect; respect for self and respect for others. It is also tied up with selfdiscipline and managing impulsivity. And, of course, self-esteem is inextricably linked with interpersonal relationships and related social skills. The biggest mistakes we can make as educators and you can make as parents are to: 1.

Solve children’s problems rather than give them a chance to overcome problems themselves. Life is uncomfortable sometimes and we have to learn how to manage these times. The best thing we can do is be supportive and teach strategies that encourage persistence and resilience for these tough times. Otherwise, these become the overprotected children –spoiled, lacking confidence, avoiding new challenges, helpless.

Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

Allow children to be a victim, blaming others for their actions or lack of action. We must ‘hang tough’ – be fair, positive, and human but insist on their responsibilities being met and placing natural consequences in place if they are not. This fosters commitment, tenacity, and perseverance which in turn fosters achievement which is fundamental to self-worth.

It is a fine line we as parents and educators walk between developing real independence and not placing too much responsibility on children. But if we can maintain this balance calmly and respectfully the modelling is incredibly powerful. We live in a wonderful country with an outstanding future. Somehow, together, we must walk the tight rope of fostering children’s individuality and creativity and inculcate core community values that will ensure they are caring and giving citizens who are proud to work hard and play hard for their country. Parental support is crucial to children’s happiness now and as an adult. Each child is different, and this individuality is to be celebrated. With unwavering support and patience most children will achieve success and happiness. We must take the medium to long view and be consistent.

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After saying all this, it would be incredibly naïve and disrespectful of me not to acknowledge that through no fault of their own, many families are dealing with generations of cultural and social challenges that have pulled hope out from their hearts and all that is possible is a day-to-day existence. I get that and this is society’s biggest challenge. My message here is a broader one though, and the old cry of ‘the youth of today’ isn’t helpful. What we must be careful of is putting a negative spin on the vitality of youth. Somehow, we have to use this energy and creativity in constructive ways. Passion and laughter in life are so important. Our young bamboo might not show instant growth but be supportive and patient and you will reap a bountiful harvest. EDUCATION

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No need to ‘shush’ in this library By Rosie Clarke, Editor

Decades of research links a vociferous love of reading during childhood to soaring success in adulthood. Many studies also show reading to be a more telling predictor of fortune than a child’s family’s socio-economic status. The technology boom has brought with it intense discussion around the feel and function of libraries. Library design manager at Furnware, Helen Jones, tells us that “with information available online, nonfiction collections have shrunk significantly and in many cases are non-existent, so book storage requirements have been greatly reduced.” When we think about a library the first thing that automatically comes to mind for most of us is books – stacks of them! But libraries today are dynamic, multipurpose spaces for wild varieties of learning. Increasingly, Helen says, libraries prioritise “power integration in furniture like USB charging ports,

banks of computers and wall mounted screens, and more reconfigurable furniture for online research, individual study, collaborative learning, lesson delivery, lunch time games clubs, and quiet reading”. She adds that there’s a rise in “adjacent reading rooms because the main library space is not the hush zone it once was”. Perhaps we should think about a library in another way... as a ‘knowledge store’: libraries are the centre of teaching and learning in schools and wider community. Furnware Learning Space design consultant Marianne Elliott loves to help schools bring their libraries to life. She reveals: “They have evolved into learning hubs that aren’t just for reading but accommodate a variety of games, STEM activities, and research access.” To achieve this multi-purpose space, libraries (or as they are sometimes now called, innovation hubs or communication hubs) need to be fluid in design and in practice. Elliott says, “The furniture needs

Fielding Intermediate use furniture to create specific zones in their updated multipurpose library learning hub. Image courtesy of Furnware

to be flexible to allow ease of movement to create spaces, different zones and to be able to reconfigure the library space for different activities. I find that schools also like the use of standing-height tables to add levels and create extra space. And when you want to move your furniture around, castors can help tremendously. STEM and robotics, for example, may require floor space, so furniture will need to clear the floor.” Colleague Ezra Murray, Furnware Learning Space design consultant, adds: “When it comes to choosing the best furniture options, the first place schools should start is the purpose of your library and how you can use the space. Your library refurbishment should match and support your school’s pedagogy. “Think about furniture configurations where children can gather to do some collaborative group work, along with spaces for a whole class to sit, and also some spaces for children to work independently, to focus on whatever they’re doing.”

Book shelving can be used to divide and define collaborative areas and quiet reading areas. Image courtesy of Furnware

Elliott suggests establishing ‘reflection zones’ and ‘gather zones’: “Using hard surfaces and task seating for areas where students can research, collaborate and work, using soft seating and floor cushions for reading zones, while shelving can be used to separate spaces designed for specific tasks.” As libraries move away from fixed shelving to more mobile and flexible options: “Modern shelving tends to be lower (good for sightlines), so students and teaching staff see over and through it while making access to books easier for all age-groups. They not only hold books but also provide much needed storage for bags and displays, as well as doubling as room dividers to create quiet spaces or corridors,” says Murray. “We need to rethink these spaces as inviting, unique learning hubs that encourage students to learn and engage within them. They need to have zones to collaborate, gone are the ‘shhhhh – quiet this is a library’, days!”

Mobile Bookworm™ book storage and display, is low enough for easy book access and provides good sightlines. Image courtesy of Furnware

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their hours. These additional hours are distributed where the needs are greatest and we have considered several equity and population factors in each region, such as the total number of students, schools and kura, Māori and Pacific students, decile 1 and 2 schools and kura.”

Whakamaua te pae tata kia tina - Take hold of your potential so it becomes your reality. Supplying teaching staff with access to quality professional learning development is a responsibility schools can ill afford to renege on. PLD can have a significant impact on improving the effectiveness of teachers and creating better student outcomes.

Formerly 'locally-focused PLD’, the model for regionally allocated PLD was introduced in 2017. It shifted the focus from national to regional allocation, with PLD allocation decisions being made by local panels.

An ever-evolving feast… Knowledge that a school may wish to develop among staff may not fit with an individual teacher’s learning wants and needs. How PLD is funded, and how much is put into this, is often a bone of contention. And the variety of options on offer for both the school and its teachers to consider is a constantly changing buffet. So, what choices do schools have? There are the many and varied private organisations that offered PLD in all shapes and sizes, as well as the

recently refreshed government funded PLD, served up by regional allocation. Last year, the PLD priorities in Aotearoa were subject to a reset ‘to focus on core curriculum capabilities that enable a more responsive and equitable education system’. The new PLD priorities were informed by engagement with people from right across New Zealand’s education system through Kōrero Mātauranga and the engagement led by the Curriculum Progress and Achievement Ministerial Advisory Group.

In mid-March 2021, the Ministry of Education revealed it had reviewed the proportion of PLD hours given to each region for PLD. It announced that from the 2021-22 financial year (July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022) onwards, more hours will be assigned through regionally allocated PLD. The ministry announced: “We have ensured that no region had a reduction in their yearly allocation and that the minimum number of hours that a region will receive per financial year is 10,596 hours. Most regions will receive an increase to

TEACHER’S DESK

These panels consist of local education sector representatives with local knowledge and context, such as Iwi, principals, school leaders and members of representative groups such as education associations. A cross-section of both English and Māori medium primary, intermediate, and secondary school leaders are represented. The panel reviews all applications from its region and gives allocation recommendations to the Regional Director of Education, who then approves the allocations. P20 Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

Masters research an outlet to share expertise in te ao Maori Over 30 years after completing her first te reo Māori certificate, Mereaera Hesketh (Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Kahungunu, Rangitāne, Ngāti Hikairo, Ngāti Pahauwera, Ngāti Rākaipaaka, Ngai Te Ipu, Ngāti Hamua, Ngāti Hinemanu, Ngāti Rameka) graduated from EIT with a Master of Professional Practice with Distinction. But so much has happened in between. Mereaera started to study te reo Māori in the late 1980s at the Hawke’s Bay Community College (former name of EIT)

after working as a kaiāwhina at Ōmahu Kōhanga Reo. In the years that followed Mereaera gained a teaching diploma from Palmerston North Teachers’ College followed by a Bachelor of Education at Massey University. Until last year, she was teaching and working as Assistant Principal at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga. Last year, after 18 years at the kura, Mereaera accepted a Lead Adviser role at the Ministry of Education. “Many people have asked me why I was leaving the fullimmersion Māori environment to work for a government institution. It certainly wasn’t an easy decision, but I feel that my experience can benefit the Ministry in further

acknowledging Māori tikanga, building capabilities, capacities, and leadership.”

something for everybody, and I feel that it is my responsibility to share it.”

When EIT introduced the Master of Professional Practice Mereaera returned to EIT. “My lecturers were such great support in pointing me in the right direction. My research topic ‘The value of tikanga Māori in a Government institution’ gave me the opportunity to reflect on my experience in te ao Māori and teaching practice.

“It’s heartening to see that people that I have taught as five-year-olds went on to do degrees in te reo Māori and now move up the ladder. There are more and more young Māori people getting solid qualifications and pushing for change. We need these leaders in government institutions.”

Mereaera says her Master’s stimulated not only professional but also personal growth. “Sometimes you don’t realise how much knowledge you have until you study and do research. This knowledge is so valuable. I know that not everyone had the opportunity to experience what I experienced. Te ao Māori offers

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Mereaera Hesketh | Master of Professional Practice

TEACHER’S DESK

Despite the challenges of 2020, Mereaera has already made plans for further studies to start a Doctorate in Philosophy. EIT will forever be a place that she holds in her heart. “EIT accommodates the needs of our community and our diverse population, and there is certainly a great wairua.”

P18 The MoE unveiled seven new PLD priorities that underpin regionally allocated PLD. New priorities for English medium settings are cultural capability, local curriculum design, and assessment for learning. While the new priorities for Māori medium and te reo Māori settings will be: mātauranga Māori and te reo Māori, marau ā-kura, aromatawai. Digital fluency remains a priority in all settings. The Ministry said: “These new priorities support teachers and kaiako to provide more responsive and rich learning experiences for all ākonga and students. Regionally allocated PLD must align with one or more of the priorities.” Aligned with these new PLD priorities is the first-of-its-kind Teacher Aide PLD Pilot Fund, here in Aotearoa New Zealand. This fund supports teacher aides’ development of further skills and knowledge through PLD that contributes to the vision of their school and students' needs. In total, a $2.29 million pot of funding will be provided for teacher aide PLD over an 18-month pilot period, which started in July. Up to $1500 is

How PLD is funded, and how much is put into this, is often a bone of contention available per teacher aide and all those who are employed in state and state-integrated schools are eligible to apply. Funding will cover course and time costs, plus up to $500 for travel and accommodation costs. More info can be found online via pld.education.govt. nz/find-pld/teacher-aide-pld. The fund was intended to support teacher aides in pursuing training opportunities within their school or cluster, and can pay for classes offered by private providers, polytechnics and universities, covering both face-to-face and online delivery. This means they are able to work towards recognised Certificates, Master’s degrees, and even PhDs to extend their practice while working. For those schools looking to apply for regionally allocated PLD, the new online system has replaced the previous manual

system in a bid to simplify the application, allocation, and planning processes.

PLD for early-stage principals is available through the leadership advisor service. Delivered by Evaluation Associates on behalf of the Ministry of Education, this PLD service supports principals and tumuaki in their first or second year in the role ‘by providing targeted, timely and tailored leadership advice to enable each of them to reach their potential’. There is a raft of PLD opportunity for teachers across all subjects, information on which can be accessed through the new pld.education.govt.nz website, under Networks of Expertise. This provides links to subject associations and other peerto-peer networks that deliver support for teachers.

TEACHER’S DESK

A key area of PLD, wherever you look in 2021, and an integral part of the government’s new priorities, is digital fluency. With this, the MoE aims to support teachers, kaiako, ākonga, and students ‘to confidently and effectively use digital technologies to enhance teaching and learning outcomes’. “Digital fluency is about helping ākonga to develop skills in critical literacy in digital contexts, and to recognise how language, symbol and text affect understanding and communications.” While the scope of opportunities for PLD in a post-COVID world set to be farther reaching, and delivered more online, than ever before, it’s essential that teachers’ and students’ digital capabilities grow to keep pace with this changing world, while at the same time prioritising cultural understanding. In meeting individuals’ learning wants and needs, there may well be a surge in demand for in-person PLD as we evaluate and rediscover cravings for face-to-face human connection in this new era of learning and development in the education sector and beyond. Find out more at: pld.education. govt.nz/regionally-allocated-pld. Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

Professional Development made easy with SIT2LRN It’s a milestone in life when you don on that cap and gown to receive acknowledgement for your years of study and the resulting qualification. However, in today’s workforce one of the greatest assets you can offer an employer is a commitment to lifelong learning and ongoing, on-the-job professional development. The sticking point may be, “How do I fit study in with work and family?” Thankfully, SIT2LRN has come up with the answer – as the distance learning faculty of the Southern Institute of Technology, they specialise in providing a solution when fulltime study away from home isn’t an option. SIT2LRN courses are delivered

online and students enjoy the convenience of studying from anywhere. Over sixty flexible and accessible programmes are offered in a wide range of subjects, both NZQA approved and internationally recognised, from Certificates through to Master’s degrees: •

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Visit our website to learn more: https://www.sit.ac.nz/campus/ SIT2LRN-Distance-Learning Auckland-based entrepreneur Melanie Langlotz took to

distance learning like a duck to water, and completed a Diploma in Professional Coaching and a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Enterprise. Melanie said studying reinforced the knowledge she already had, and helped her to identify where she could increase her learning and understanding. “What I learned from studying is this: I grew confidence. It brings more control over your life and what you want to do. I gained a piece of paper that said I know what I know”. She said study not only provides confidence, but the opportunity to engage with like-minded people, reminding you you’re not alone, and it supplies mentors as well. And the icing on the cake is this - many SIT2LRN programmes qualify for the Zero Fees Scheme.

Melanie Langlotz successfully completed a Diploma in Professional Coaching and a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Enterprise through SIT2LRN Distance Learning.

Twenty years old this year, this innovative scheme means you won’t pay tuition costs for your course, students can and do save thousands in gaining their new qualification. So what are you waiting for? Seize today and enrol in your future with SIT2LRN. Enquiries welcome, phone 0800 40 FEES (0800 40 3337). The SIT Zero Fees Scheme (ZFS) is subject to NZ government policies.

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STUDY @ SIT2LRN DISTANCE LEARNING We offer flexible and accessible programmes in a wide range of subjects and qualifications. Our programmes are NZQA approved, internationally recognised, and range from Certificates to Masters degrees. SIT2LRN Distance Learning programmes have no tuition fees for domestic students under the SIT Zero Fees Scheme.

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Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

TEACHER’S DESK

CASE STUDY

Literacy journeys of discovery through PLD By Rosie Clarke, Editor

When Kaikohe West School applied for PLD funding and linked up with Cognition Education, its staff and students set foot on a path to seemingly limitless literacy success. Steering the way, education consultant Rebecca Thomas began with a korero with Kaikohe West School’s literacy leader Nickola Cross to light up literacy learning for Kaikohe kids. “We sat down and used a scoping tool to find out which parts of literacy we could help improve. We identified how much the students knew, looking at oral language skills, comprehension, reading and writing fluency, and assessment for learning strategy,” Rebecca says. “We learnt that Kaikohe West were collecting writing results at key points in the year and moderating them thoroughly. However, this data was then filed and stored somewhere. Teachers were not using this data to plan and respond effectively.” Sensitive to the school community's needs, Cognition Education designed a completely bespoke literacy approach. “As a 92 percent Māori school, we wanted to build on our pūrākau (storytelling) ability,” Rebecca shares. “Kōrero Ki Te Tuhi was created for this purpose; designed to respond to our ākonga needs, using assessment for learning principles such as prior knowledge, co-construction of

success criteria, clear learning intentions, deliberate acts of teaching, feedback, feed forward, and goal setting.”

to the student's long-term memory through a mixture of picture mapping, drama, role play and other activities.

Kōrero Ki Te Tuhi’s Design: How does it work?

“When the students know the pūrākau off by heart, it is dissected. The students see where the writer intentionally uses language to construct the modelled text. Next, they innovate the text with small changes as ākonga ‘play’. Once they have built confidence, they retell the new version orally, and then craft their own whakapapa pūrākau, combining all they’ve learned. When they have responded to feedback and feed forward from their peers and Kaiako, they begin to write their ‘hot task’. Once ready, the students reflect on their hot and cold task and see how much progress they have made before the journey begins again with a new type of writing.”

First, the kaiako give ākonga a ‘cold task’ to highlight just what the tamariki can do. Term one’s cold task for Kaikohe West was to have a go at telling a familiar whakapapa pūrākau about Ranginui and Papatuanuku. Reflection then takes place with students using success criteria. Ākonga next check what success criteria (ingredients) they are confident with and set some improvement goals. The data is used to design deliberate acts of teaching for the class to move their writing on. The journey ahead is seen as a reciprocal process (Ako) between kaiako and ākonga. Rebecca recalls how, “Kaikohe West teachers then wrote a model text with all of the ingredients the children need to become better writers. This text is committed

This approach builds confidence in developing our tamariki oral language and makes kaiako more responsive to their needs, says Rebecca, by focussing on “learners’ capacity and capability to share stories orally before beginning the writing process, which is particularly beneficial for Māori learners, who have a rich culture of oral story telling. “Ākonga see themselves as successful creators of language. Our kaiako support each other and collaborate more. Even our youngest students picture-mapped their own story for homework without being prompted; inspired by what was

TEACHER’S DESK

happening in the classroom!” Teacher Ange Wihongi feels she and the children benefited greatly: “The tamariki loved it - especially picture mapping and role-playing. They could not believe that was classed as writing and it encouraged group work.” Using IRIS Connect, the video based PLD platform, professional learning was deepened too. “I personally loved the sequence of teaching: the platform we used had reflections and task examples on it, which made my planning more consistent and purposeful.” With IRIS Connect, teachers can securely record lesson examples for reflections, inquiry, and discussion. Rebecca explains: “I trained the teachers to use this method and to teach other teachers to use this, so they could share and collaborate.” The site was IRIS Connect. Lessons were recorded on the platform using video-enabled sharing and reflection. Rebecca explains: “I trained the teachers to use this method and to teach other teachers to use this, so they could share and collaborate.” Fellow teacher Nickola Cross glows: “From the moment Rebecca introduced me to KKT, I thought, now here is something that will boost confidence in oral language and give tamariki material to use when asked to write. This way of learning, for the tamariki, also opens up the door to build relationships, to show manaakitanga and to foster a love for writing.” Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

TEACHER’S DESK

Science classroom safety design Images courtesy of Novalab and Novaschool

By Heather Barker Vermeer Industry Reporter

With recent news that school science standards have declined – in the ERO report released in April – it is more important than ever that science is given the time and energy is deserves. Making science fun and demonstrating science in the classrooms is key to creating memorable reactions – not only in the experiments, but from the students themselves. Schools have a lot to think about when it comes to their science labs.

“It seems to be a trend that has worked its way from Europe and the UK. The designs coming through at the moment are definitely detailing differing workspace areas, open learning areas and changes of shape of the laboratory space. Another key change is area visibility, with glass and sliding walls and doors that help to create a feeling of open space throughout the lab block.” Furniture design has evolved in much the same way, says Sutcliffe, with flexibility of design being a focus.

“This can be achieved in various ways but minimising the amount of "fixed" benchtop area certainly gives the school the ability to "change" the layout of the room as and when they need to.” When it comes to fume cupboards, he says, discussions can become ‘slightly contentious’… “I think we would all like to assume that our children are being taught and shown practical demonstrations in the lab environment that would mirror the experience they would have in a future career in science.

What design and safety considerations do state-of-the-art science rooms need?

That's where the mobile, selffiltration carbon filter models of fume cupboards come into their own. When paired with docking stations located into the lab areas they provide really good flexibility and are affordable. He adds: “Chemical storage also needs careful consideration. The standards set around this subject are strict and we strongly suggest you seek input from a professional before embarking on just ordering chemicals and dangerous goods cabinets to stock them in. “School prep areas are awash with heaps of chemicals and we can see just by the age of some of the storage containers and the amount of dust on them that they have been there for years and never used.

We spoke to key industry professionals this issue to uncover trending insights… Providing school science labs with equipment, furniture and safe storage solutions is what the industry experts at Novalab do: Richard Sutcliffe reveals that “in terms of laboratory design, flexibility of the lab space is certainly catching on here in New Zealand”.

This would predominantly mean using fully fitted and extracted fume cupboards that can cope with a large range of chemical experimentation being carried out within them. However, we rarely see this being the case in education here in New Zealand.”

“If this is the case then there needs to be a rationale of ‘do we really need this?’ if not, then seek help in the safe disposal of any ‘spare’ chemicals.” TEACHING RESOURCES

Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

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“GYRO” by Novalab The totally flexible solution for Science labs of the future. Call us to discuss the benefits and how to get GYRO into your school lab.

For all your educational furniture needs, fitted or loose. We specialize in bespoke solutions for school furniture including laboratories, food technology rooms, technology areas and general storage solutions. Our furniture is designed with longevity and sharp design in mind. Contact us for design input and help in meeting standards.

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two separate fume cupboards, providing the storage room is adjacent to the classroom, and can aid security as chemicals can be made to never leave the prep room, depending on the workflow.Slim side windows can be added (they are restricted due to the size of the front sash). Finally, ductless fume cabinets can be purchased with a trolley frame, wheeled between rooms and set up for temporary demonstration of chemistry experiments. These are a good solution for schools due

Image courtesy of Thermoplastic

Thermoplastic managing director Simon Jones explains that: “The fume cupboard is the gold standard for demonstrating real life chemistry safely in schools.” He describes four solution types: “The four-sided glass fume cupboard option allows a class to stand around the fume cupboard and see what is happening inside from any angle. The services connections can be routed from above (apart from drain), and the top enclosed with infill panels to tidy up the installation. Where a

to lower chemical concentrations and low duty. A downside is needing to replace the carbon filter approximately every two years. Filter monitors allow the user to see the filter life and the fan status live on a screen.” Talking to us about dangerous goods storage cabinets, Jones explains that schools typically stock a mix of Class 3 (flammable liquids) and Class 8 (corrosives – e.g., acids) chemicals for demonstrations.

fume cupboard must go against a wall, added side windows boost visibility. It is helpful to have the wall clear of joinery either side to allow students to be standing next to the wall. A third solution is the double-sided fume cupboard, which has sliding opening sashes on two opposite sides, allowing one fume cupboard to be used from both the prep/storage room and classroom sides. A sash interlock allows only one sash to be opened at a time. This is more economical than having

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Image courtesy of Thermoplastic

Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

Images courtesy of Novalab and Novaschool

“Dangerous goods cabinets are a good solution for storage of these, as they deal with the main compliance issues from the relevant standards (e.g., bunding, shelf air movement, labelling, materials, and a degree of fire safety) all within a cabinet. These can be connected to an exhaust fan system to reduce or eliminate any smells or fumes in the room (but this cannot be a fume cupboard fan, which is kept separate).”

Standards for schools According to suppliers, all built-in fume cupboards must comply with AS/NZS 2243.8:2014 under the building code and need to be tested annually for compliance on the building’s BWOF as a Specified System (SS11). Mobile or recirculating fume cabinets have their own Standard AS/NZS 2243.9 (2009). These do not require annual inspection by a qualified person - however the

Image courtesy of Thermoplastic

standard does provide a template for annual testing/inspection.

in these cabinets, and the total

Regular filter replacements are crucial. Flammables cabinets (Class 3) must comply with (part) AS 1940:2017 or EN 14470-1:2004 according to the Health & Safety at Work Regulations (2017) 11.29.

Finally, corrosives cabinets (Class

The European (EN) standard provides for fire safety ratings in the cabinet and allows for different labelling. Containers must store less than 20 litres each

Share in the magic of science. Safely

stored cannot exceed 250 litres.

8) must comply with (part) AS 3780:2008 “or a standard in a relevant safe work instrument” according to the Health & Safety at Work Regulations (2017) 13.37. Storage volumes are limited to 1000 L or kg total (less for some subclasses), but schools typically store much less.

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Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

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TEACHING RESOURCES

Getting full compliance with AS 3780 or AS 1940 in one cabinet

Mathematics practice makes progress By Rosie Clarke, Editor

Principals hit out earlier this year after the International Mathematics and Science Study showed 13-year-olds recorded their worst ever maths results in 2020. The Principals Federation demanded action from Secretary for Education Iona Holsted, citing the 2019 Programme for International Student Assessment, NZ’s National Monitoring Study of Student Assessment, and a generally worrisome trend of declining results. “The national monitoring of student achievement shows a

very low level of achievement for our Year 8 students,” Principal Federation Principal Perry Rush told Radio New Zealand. “We have 45 percent of year 8 students in mathematics achieving at or above expectations in curriculum and only 20 percent in science. Now, those statistics should ring alarm bells.”

Curious about Caxton Educational CaxEd publishes the popular NZ Curriculum Mathematics – Stages numeracy series and the award-winning NZ Curriculum Mathematics – Connecting All Strands series, which weaves all the NZ Curriculum strands into one Student Text per year (Years 3-8) establishing a solid backbone for your maths programme. CaxEd offers Online Teacher Support via their website to complement the Connecting All Strands texts. Printable masters, interactive games, teaching strategies, and extra tasks for every

Mathematics is a core component of any school curriculum, and choosing the right programme is not only essential but a complex process. Schools must find a programme that will push students to reach their full potential by building confidence in cautious learners and extending challenge to more confident learners.

Maths anxiety is very real, according to researchers from Queen’s University Belfast and Loughborough University. “The feeling of tension and fear that many people experience when called on to work out a sum … can lead to behavioural problems in class, as well as physical symptoms such as butterflies in the stomach and a racing heart,” they explain on The Conversation. While maths anxiety can impact student performance, the researchers recommend encouraging learners and their families to engage in fun maths games to develop positive attitudes towards mathematics especially in the first few years of school.

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chapter add more excellent activities for extension or extra practice to the highquality tasks in the books. Schools that have purchased this series can access these online resources at no cost. The Ministry of Education’s latest study shows that textbooks outperform computer or tablet-based learning.

Give your students the best advantage to excel at maths. They use our textbooks, while you have all our free online teacher support.

Email mel@caxed.co.nz or visit www.caxed.co.nz. TEACHING RESOURCES

YOUR STUDENTS DESERVE THIS! mel@caxed.co.nz www.caxed.co.nz

Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

Following this train of thought, gamified maths is something modern maths programmes increasingly provide. Maths games come in all shapes and sizes, with some invoking a reward-style incentivised learning system and others building real-world contextual scenarios for maths problem solving.

How to choose a maths programme For schools, the first thing to consider is flexibility. How do your teachers like to teach? How do your learners like to learn? A maths programme designed to teach hundreds of young people, with varying ability levels, should also be designed to cater to varying teaching styles. Less experienced teachers will likely prefer more structured material, and more hands-on support. On the other hand, customisability and having more control over content and resources will appeal to more seasoned staff members.

Tracking individual and class progress One of the core features that maths programmes offer is the delivery of engaging and personalised learning for students. Student self-assessment is one option for schools to consider with new programmes. Here, learners are given more agency over their learning pathway and navigate app or web-based feedback without the constant need for a teacher to be present. Teachers should be able to access and use the programme’s learner data and tools to adapt or alter the way they instruct students over the course of a unit or topic. For programmes that prioritise blended learning, or nonweb-based learning, in-class growth mindset strategies are a critical component, focussed on eradicating maths anxiety by building confidence through practice. The emphasis to students here is locating connections between new material and mastered material so that foundational skills are steadily applied in many different contexts. Programmes that provide both online and printable materials are often popular. Schools should aim for a programme that empowers students to work conscientiously but at their own pace, so that teachers are Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

empowered to focus in on specific topics or aspects as needed. Keeping a record of student responses to your existing and any new programme should help you to create a profile of your school’s mathematics pedagogy that can enable you to make more meaningful and efficient improvements. Tracking progress through assessment, student feedback, and in-class or in-activity observations should always help guide decisionmaking and instruction planning.

Boosting student engagement Research has shown that selfconfidence in maths degrades with age, particularly for girls and Māori learners. A 2019 New Zealand study published in the Frontiers in Psychology journal tackled the issue of mathematics ‘self-concept’, or self-perception, among students. The three-year longitudinal study found that girls tend to have a consistently lower self-concept in maths than boys, irrespective of ability, and that while Māori, Asian, and Other students’ initial mathematics self-concept was higher than that of New Zealand European and Pacific Islanders’ at the beginning of the study, Māori students’ self-concept in maths significantly declined over three years. Researchers Penelope Watson, Christine Rubie-Davies, and Kane Meissel discussed possible reasons for this, noting that social comparison and teacher expectations hold a lot of influence. They established that learner agency can help mitigate these trends in the classroom, and positive outcomes are associated with pedagogy that prioritises collaboration over competition in the classroom; self-chosen activities, buddy systems, and mixed ability groups help discourage social comparison, where students would compare themselves to their peers. Encouraging a supportive classroom environment is key to boosting a positive self-image in maths but the study also highlighted value in teachers having high expectations for all students, rather than reinforcing stereotypes about mathematics potential for girls or students from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Tap into your students’ curiosity about water Wellington Water’s new “Love Every Drop” resource is a fun, comprehensive, curriculum integrated teacher resource for years 2-8. The resource is grounded in Environmental Education for Sustainability (EEfS) and incorporates concepts from te ao Maori (a Maori worldview). It provides 13 easy to follow, complete lesson plans, including many useful links to further resources.

To get more information on how to access our “Love Every Drop” resource, Visit https://www.wellingtonwater.co.nz/education/love-every-drop. Please provide your email information so we can follow your progress and help you work through this new resource.

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Don’t let your camp become a horror story Images courtesy of Rockup Adventure Activities

By Heather Barker Vermeer Industry Reporter

Having members of the fire service wading through rising waters to rescue your group from a ﬂash ﬂood during camp and featuring on national news the next morning surely isn’t on anyone’s list of camping ‘must-dos!

Live pictures of dozens of primary pupils huddled together in a nearby farmer’s barn being beamed across the country, was however, the reality for one school camp.

There is no accounting for the weather, and scenarios hard to envisage when planning, can and do happen. In this particular camp, all children and staff were safe, if a little shaken from having to scramble onto

top bunks in their dormitories in the dark as the flood waters rose rapidly. Staff acted swiftly, called for help early and everyone got out. They couldn’t have accounted for what happened that night, but good planning and quick action saved the day. The key to preventing disaster and creating a positive camp experience is in the planning, as well as the execution. Get it right and you’ll create positive

memories for children to share – whatever the weather! The activities on camp are often the most enjoyable part of the experience for students. Team building challenges are popular and productive, caving, rope courses, kayaking, go-karting, sailing, rafting, and bush survival lessons. Camps should provide trained instructors for these specialist pursuits, while parents could step in to help teach

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Images courtesy of Christchurch TOP10 Holiday Park

camp cooking skills, weaving, or learning how to light a fire – age appropriately, of course. Whether you choose tents, huts, or bunks in dormitories, open air shelters or more well-catered cabins will depend on age, stage, desired outcomes, and budget. It is important to find the balance between comfort and challenge, while allowing students of all abilities to feel supported, which isn’t always easy! Some children may not have ventured beyond their family homes for a night before. Depending on the camp, in-house kitchen catering facilities may be available or, either way, external suppliers

The stakes are high, but with the right planning and attitude, so is the fun!

can be employed. Key points to remember in cooking for yourselves are the number of helpers needed, people available to go grocery shopping, the amounts of non-perishables needed and what can be transported versus what needs to be bought nearby – and where fresh items can actually be

bought locally. Special dietary requirements of campers – adults and children – need to be catered for and strict hygiene rules adhered to. No one wants upset stomachs, especially not on camp. Talking of health and safety, it goes without saying that this is

paramount. Risk management is serious business and should be treated as the number one priority in any camp planning. There are organisations schools can turn to if planning a camp feels like it’s falling in the too hard basket and schools need to weigh up the cost of this versus the impact of running the show internally. Providing equipment lists, jobs lists, having plenty of hands on deck, being well supplied, encouraging high morale among helpers and considering accessibility for a range of students are all necessary to keep front of mind when choosing the latter option.

Group Accommodation in Christchurch City

With rooms to suit every group type, Christchurch TOP10 Holiday park is the ideal place for any learning experience outside of the classroom. Our accommodation suits all budgets. Some may prefer a self-contained option with bathroom and kitchen facilities inside each unit. For a more authentic camping experience, we offer standard cabin units where students can use communal cooking and

bathroom facilities but still have the comfort of a warm cabin. We include everything you need such as beds made up with linen, pillows, plates, pots/pans etc – just bring yourselves and your own personal belongings. The park has plenty of on site activities with an indoor heated pool, jumping pillow, playground, snookball and an indoor electronic Neos game. We also have a HOT & COLD therapy system to give your sports team the edge in recovery.

Contact our dedicated groups coordinator, Sarah Moore at groups@christchurchtop10.co.nz

Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

EOTC

EOTC opportunities to explore in and around Rotorua By Heather Barker Vermeer Industry Reporter

get out on the water. Rotorua is beset by spectacular geothermal parks in and around the city, every one of them provides a unique, surreal – if sour-scented – experience.

Though the well-known geysers and geo-thermal pools are a uniquely Rotorua spectacle to enjoy here in Aotearoa New Zealand, this sulphurous central North Island city has much, much more to explore. Seen by many as the nation’s cultural capital, Rotorua’s many traditional Māori experiences educate and delight visitors, while rich natural landscapes, arts, activities, and adventures abound. This land-locked, lake-filled wonder has plenty to offer school groups of all ages, abilities, and sizes.

Bubbling mud pools, spouting geysers, steaming vents, boiling lakes and colourful sinter terraces provide great opportunities for learning across geography, geology, and the sciences. These natural phenomena also provide fantastic photography opportunities. Images courtesy of 3D Trick Art Gallery

Travel-wise, it’s a winner; being accessible by car or coach in a few hours from anywhere in the North Island. Direct flights are available from Christchurch

for South Island visitors, as are flights from Auckland and Wellington. It’s an easy city to navigate by road and it’s 18 lakes offer plenty of opportunity to

Arguably the best place in Aotearoa New Zealand to experience the traditional customs, practices and beliefs of Māori, Rotorua is home to several authentic, mesmerising cultural tours and performances.

What an experience! 3D Trick Art Gallery – Get into the picture and enjoy the magical journey Art, not as you would expect it to be! A perfect place to get memorable photos for your students, no age or height limits are required to enjoy this immersive attraction. Being the only 3D Trick Art Gallery in New Zealand students will not be disappointed with the 53 pieces of artwork that they will find themselves a part of. Teach the children to be creative and work as part of a team to create a positive outcome.

The Farm Tour The farm is educational for all

ages as the Farm Tour does not only allow visitors to interact with the farm animals but they also can enjoy getting up and personal with the animals by feeding and patting them. Recommended for students to learn that farm animals have contributed to the development of people’s lives by giving comfort and enjoyment through to supplying clothing and food to the agricultural economy and even other industries. While on-site enjoy a picnic overlooking the farm, ask us about the picnic lunchboxes Café 171 can provide for your visit. The Farm Tour can be booked for any day of the week for large groups only and the duration is one hour. EOTC

Come and enjoy a morning or afternoon at the Rotorua Heritage Farm and learn how to be creative, sharpen your acting skills, work as part of a team to get the best ever photos, learn about our different breeds of farm animals and get to feed them, when all of that is done enjoy a drink and lunch at Café 171.

The 3D Trick Art Gallery is open from 10:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday and 9:00am to 5:00pm on Saturdays and Sundays during the school terms. Please allow at least an hour to go through the gallery, check out our website 3dtrickart.co.nz

Café 171 is open Wed - Sun 9 - 4 only For any enquiries or bookings email info@3dtrickart.co.nz or call Robyn Van den Hurk, Rotorua Heritage Farm Operations Manager on 027 2158190

Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

Showcasing historic lifestyles and traditions, mythology and art, tours and experiences allow visitors to learn how to dance with poi or perform a haka, enjoy a traditional pōhiri and experience mouthwatering hāngī. While paddling a beautifully carved waka along the shores of Lake Rotorua, visitors can learn about the local Māori of Ohinemutu Village and beyond. If you’re up for giving your students an adrenaline-fuelled experience, activities such as zorbing, luge racing and ziplining can make challenging yet memorable team-building activities for students, and staff. One of Rotorua’s most famous must-do adventure activities is whitewater rafting on the Kaituna River, home to the world’s highest commercially raftable waterfall. The Redwoods Forest of Rotorua provides opportunities for students to overcome fears: heights and the dark. Since its opening in 2016, visitors have flocked to the Redwoods Nightlights – a 700-metre long, forest canopy walking experience

Images courtesy of Blue Lake TOP10 Holiday Park

that provides a unique birds’ eye view from six to 20 metres above the ground, furnished with spectacular lanterns. For sports-centred trips, particularly mountain biking, Rotorua is a world-famous destination. Whakarewarewa Forest is a maze of 200

kilometres of purpose-built mountain biking trails to suit everyone from beginner kids through to extreme downhill competitors. Some of the area’s other top spots for mountain biking trails are Rainbow Mountain, Skyline Rotorua Gravity Park, Moerangi Track,

Western Okataina Walkway, the Timber Trail and Whirinaki Forest. Rotorua is only one of four places in the world to feature on the elite Crankworx World Tour calendar. It is a pinnacle event to watch for aspiring mountain bikers and is next due to be held between November 1-7 this year.

Group accommodation in the heart of Rotorua

Blue Lake TOP10 have a wide variety of accommodation options available to suit every budget, from 180 powered and non-powered tent sites to standard and self-contained cabins. The facilities at the park will keep your group entertained and active, with free Kayak hire available and a private or sole use marquee with attached kitchen and BBQ that can accommodate up to 80 people.

Okareka and Rotokakahi are all within 2km of the park, and a short 8km drive will find you in the centre of Rotorua. Blue Lake TOP 10 offer large groups heavily discounted rates from February 1st – December 20th (excluding peak season only) and can work with you to accommodate any size group and any budget. For more information please call 0800 808 292 or visit www.bluelaketop10.co.nz

The park is central to a variety of local attractions. Lakes Tarawera, Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

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Images courtesy of Heritage Farm Rotorua

As well as its 18 lakes, Rotorua is home to three major rivers, which all provide opportunities for fun on the water. Paddleboarding, kayaking and other self-propelled watersports are popular with tour groups, while jet boating provides high-octane thrills on lake and river. Jet boat tours can transport tours to pristine Mokoia Island or to a natural hot waterfall and hidden geothermal valley called The Squeeze. Staying in Rotorua can be as much fun as the adventure activities on offer, with back to nature camping options aplenty to extend learning experiences. Accommodation options vary from basic tents to bunks in dormitories, to open air shelters and the more well-catered cabins. Age and accessibility requirements, dictate different needs, so schools must strike the balance between comfort and activity level, while allowing students of all abilities to feel supported, which is not always an easy ask! Don’t underestimate the knowledgebase of accommodation providers – they are used to school groups and may have packages and tips of their own to share so touch base early.

provide tour groups with puzzling escape challenges through its 1.4km maze. Kuirau Park is just a few minutes’ walk from the city centre and its paths lead you to mud and hot pools. These particular pools are too hot to bathe in, however visitors can soak their feet in the free, more comfortably warm, foot bath.

The 3D Trick Art Gallery provides an enlightening educational experience, providing more than just art to observe; there is art you can jump into and be a part of. This experience is nestled within the worldrenowned Rotorua Heritage Farm complex, with its Heritage Farm Tours and café.

Further afield, just 25 minutes’ drive along State Highway 5, visitors can visit Waimangu Volcanic Valley. Where, at the base of Mount Tarawera, Lake Rotomahana sits - the final resting place of the Pink and White Terraces. Often considered the ‘8th Wonder of the World’, the Pink and White Terraces are a long-lost natural treasure that served as a popular tourism destination in the 1800s, until they were buried in the 1886 eruption of Mt Tarawera. Boat cruises operate across the fabled lake to allow visitors to experience geothermal wonders only accessible by boat. The free Waimangu app includes information and features on a self-guided walk and unveils the Pink and White Terraces and other features, via augmented reality.

A WWII amphibious duck vehicle tour is a unique, quirky offering and the aMAZEme attraction can

There is little risk of hearing the words, ‘I’m bored’, around Rotorua.

Images courtesy of Blue Lake TOP10 Holiday Park

Upcoming exhibitions in Rotorua include the Iwi Living Exhibition: Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao, which comprises a range of collaborative events to experience stories from Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao. Heled at Rotorua Library Te Aka Mauri, the event is free for all ages and runs from May 24 to June 6. Rotorua Energy Events Centre and Rotorua International Stadium play host to events throughout the year, from sports to music performances and expos. Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa, The Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre and Rotorua Civic

Theatre are all set to reopen this year, following lengthy closures for seismic upgrading work. All will be freshly strengthened and revitalised ready to welcome visitors for 2021-22.

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Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

By Richard Wallis, The CarbonCycle Company

Tim and I had an uplifting experience recently when we visited Stratford Primary School to install a composting system. This school has, over the years, placed a huge emphasis on actively engaging the children with nature and natural cycles. Composting was one of those activities. The school also has an established kitchen garden, a large orchard, and they keep bees and chickens. Eggs come from the henhouse, not the supermarket, honey comes from the hive and chutney and marmalade are made from the gardens and with leftovers from the Fruit in Schools programme. Now they wanted to get more serious about composting. Why is that not surprising? Restoring broken ecosystems has been described as the great work that is needed of this current generation, and ecosystem restoration ultimately comes down to compost. Ecosystems are diverse interdependent populations of vegetation and creatures. If you take any plant or any animal, insect, bird, etc., and trace it back to its origin you very quickly conclude that a healthy soil, and lots of it, is a fundamental and necessary support for all ecosystems. Kellogg said, “you cannot have soil without life, nor life without soil”.

It’s a shorthand way of saying that robust healthy vegetation, animals, people and ecosystems depend on the fertile soil built from decomposing organic matter – compost. It’s a natural progression, therefore, that the school’s work in building biodiversity and restoring its ecosystem led to the desire for more and better composting. Happily, each one of us can be involved in the important work of composting at some level, whether it be actively making compost or simply contributing our food or green ‘waste’ to a local composter/grower. Schools, for their part, can model local composting and become centres of biodiversity and food abundance. In doing so they make a disproportionate contribution to net zero carbon emissions and zero waste goals. It is a joint effort that will ensure a bright healthy well-fed sustainable future for all of us. It is the one amazing gift that we can pass on to the successive generations who will benefit from what we do next. The next step for Stratford Primary School is, through composting, to increase the productivity of its kitchen garden and orchard and to work with the Ministry of Education to customise the Food in Schools initiative so that food produced at the school can increasingly be incorporated into meals that the local café will prepare for the school. This will reduce packaging and food waste, minimise transport costs and stimulate a local circular

Tim from The CarbonCycle Company with Marlene Lewis from Stratford Primary School and their newly installed compost system. Image courtesy of the CarbonCycle Company

regenerative economy. Motivated communities and schools understand local conditions, resources and needs best. There are numerous schools throughout the country who are engaged in a similar sustainability drive, and who can and do contribute valuable information about the needs and strengths of their communities. It is inspiring to see

the Ministry of Education take advantage of that local knowledge, initative and energy by working with individual schools to adapt the Food in Schools programme to local conditions to ensure that programme is sustainable: that it delivers food security and community resilience rather than a dependent cargo culture.

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An ideal composting solution for schools - providing an educational opportunity to teach students about composting, gardening, waste reduction and the environment. Please contact us for more information:

contact@carboncyclecompost.com Image courtesy of the CarbonCycle Company

Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

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CASE STUDY

Growing food resilience

Show the way in reducing waste

Sam O’Dea delivers RecycleKiwi resources to students at Ao Tawhiti Unlimited Discovery, Christchurch

By Heather Barker Vermeer Industry Reporter

it can be the source of many creative, fun hands-on projects.

Part of growing responsible world citizens includes teaching lifelong habits - reducing waste should be taught by example at school.

It is important to have everyone on board when it comes to creating a waste wise school. Encouraging parents, students, and staff to minimise the amount of single use plastic in lunchboxes is one way to reduce the amount of waste that makes it into the school grounds. Providing ideas such as wrapping food in beeswaxlined cloth food wraps, paper bags or recyclable baking paper instead of plastic can prompt change, one lunchbox at a time.

Having an effective waste reduction programme in the classroom, playground and the across the school not only makes a positive impact but sets a blueprint for one that can be replicated at home and into the workplace. Education around reducing, reusing, and recycling is a classroom topic that is easy to extend outside the classroom too, into excursions within the wider community and

Separating waste is the next step, beyond encouraging everyone to reduce the amount of waste that the school needs to deal with. Recycling and landfill waste

bins should be clearly marked for different kinds of waste, such as glass, paper, plastic, cans, food/ organic waste and landfill waste. Education can take place in the classroom around what is recyclable, what is not and why. Ideas around reusing and repurposing can be shared, as well as providing the basis for some fun ‘upcycling’ projects and competitions. Other ideas around reusing waste include teaching students how to make recycled paper, turning jars into storage containers and taking unclaimed lost property items to your local charity shop. By composting organic waste, schools are showing the way for children to take green ideas home and into their adult lives.

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Separate food scraps, plants, paper, and lawn clippings from other rubbish and add to your composting bin. These can be accompanied by worm farms, which provide a source of fascination for many pupils, as well as fit with curriculum learning. Compost can then be used on the school gardens, which can save on fertiliser costs and prevent the need for other plastic packaging products – containing chemicals – being used. ‘Garden to table’ projects enable children to grow fruit and vegetable in their school gardens, which can be eaten at break times instead of processed packaged food, thereby contributing to waste reduction. Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

Grown produce can be used in food technology modules and for biology lessons too Grown produce can be used in food technology modules and for biology lessons too. Some schools are even introducing hens to their gardens. The hens will not only produce fresh eggs for students and staff to enjoy but eat organic food waste scraps too. Julia Proverbs, of CrestClean, shares some recycling options and resources for schools to consider… “A recycling system needs to be set up in accordance with your local area’s recycling and waste collection services. Most areas stream waste into 4-5 categories: paper, certain plastics (in most cases one or two), metals, glass and rubbish. Some areas also have organic collections, or your school may have its own composting system for food scraps, like a worm farm. “The RecycleKiwi scheme offers free waste separation stickers for bins to help separate and clearly label the different waste streams, as well as wall posters to educate which items can — and can’t — be recycled. With the stickers, you can turn any bin into a specific recycling bin! By clearly labelling your recycling bins, more items are likely to be recycled correctly, resulting in less waste going to landfill.”

RecycleKiwi is a not-for-profit nationwide project, supported by CrestClean, which aims ‘to help schools to improve their recycling efforts with interesting and fun educational resources’. The programme is based around the four ‘Rs’ – refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle – and provides resources packs to schools free of charge, which include posters, a sticker system and clean beach-themed colouring pads for pupils to complete and have published on the recyclekiwi.co.nz website gallery. International beach volleyball players, Kiwi brothers Ben and Sam O’Dea are the public faces of the programme and have been carrying out school visits to promote this work. Julia says that not only is the company proud to support RecycleKiwi, but to lead the way in New Zealand when it comes to environmentally sound commercial cleaning.

Refuse

Reduce

Reuse

Recycle

“We’re proud to be working alongside schools to achieve a more sustainable future. Our cleaning services meet the strict environmental criteria as set by Environmental Choice New Zealand. This helps to improve the sustainability of our cleaning services and allows our customers to verify sustainable procurement.”

Crest Clean Managing Director, Grant McLaughlan at the Recycle Kiwi launch

Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

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Need to Pool heating requirements

Know for your school

Image courtesy of Hot Water Heatpumps

By Heather Barker Vermeer Industry Reporter

Having a school pool is a privilege many New Zealand schools are fortunate to enjoy. They provide opportunities for exercise, learning important life skills, and plenty of fun! School pools are also a big responsibility that requires some attentiveness: safety, of course, is critical –not simply in terms of supervision but in terms of water quality and temperature too. Keeping your pool wellmaintained, and well-heated will make sure its well-loved by your students and wider community. Finding the correct balance of water quality and temperature throughout the year is essential. School pools must meet all the requirements of the New Zealand Standard NZS 5826:2010 - pool water quality. A New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) qualified person must have the management of the pool’s water quality under their continuous technical supervision, with this person readily available whenever the pool is operating, for example. And a qualified person must test your pool water three times a day to check: pH, alkalinity, calcium hardness, chlorine level, and any other

features of the pool chemistry. Schools must arrange for monthly microbiological monitoring of pool water, requiring water samples be sent to specialist water treatment labs. The pool water quality standard also requires a school’s filtration system must have a two-hour water turnover rate. We spoke to some professionals this issue, whose very job it is to look after school pools. Speaking from alternate perspectives of

solar heating and heat pumps, they each share with us some advice on how schools can suss out their pool water temperature. Industry expert Justin Watene, owner of Sunbather NZ, specialises in providing and refurbishing solar systems to ensure sufficiently warm swimming conditions. His company prides itself on helping people get into pools for as much of the year as possible and has been doing so for more than 35 years.

According to Justin, “The biggest outcome to solar heating, is the ongoing costs. For schools, we would estimate costs to be below $500 per season to heat a school pool. Compared to diesel, gas or a heat pump, which would push the cost well into the thousands.” Watene is keen to point out the multiple benefits of having your school pool covered too. “A cover adds a level of efficiency that heats the pool faster, reduces water loss and helps with water quality.” P40

Bucklands Beach Primary, Image courtesy of Sunbather

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Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

Heat Pump pool heating reducing costs Based in Henderson, Auckland, Hot Water Heat Pumps Ltd (HWHP) have been in business for over 40 years and are the most trusted pool heat pump manufacturer in the country.

HWHP has the right custom options to both reduce your heating costs as well as lower your carbon footprint. All of this on top of low maintenance costs and parts availability helps to make them the preferred choice by most swimming pool builders and trades people alike.

HWHP is heating more school pools in New Zealand than any other pool heat pump supplier. HWHP design, consult, engineer and manufacture their units using both locally and internationally sourced parts. Providing one of the best after sales service experiences on offer by either directly supporting customers or through their comprehensive dealer and service networks, is one of the many advantages over the low grade imports on offer.

No school pool is too big or too small, HWHP understand that every project is different and they are here to help you achieve the best result from your water heating project.

HWHP business processes are flexible and transparent and cater for a wide range of project sizes and budgets, prioritising detailed consultation and planning as it is key.

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Designed and built in New Zealand for our conditions, Performance Plus heat pump water heaters continue to outperform the competition. Efficient in temperatures ranging from -10C to +45C so your students can continue to enjoy the pool no matter where you are or what the weather’s doing.

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By extracting free heat from the ambient air, heat pump water heaters have a low cost of operation compared to gas, diesel pool heaters or electric elements. This means a better result for the environment and your pocket, potentially producing five times more energy for the pool than what is consumed.

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Hot Water Heat Pumps Ltd use certified Ozone Safe refrigerants and continue to innovate and develop to improve energy efficiency of Heat Pump transfer technology.

0800 336 633 info@waterheating.co.nz | www.waterheating.co.nz

Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

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percent. Inverter heat pumps operating at their maximum capacity can be less efficient than a well-engineered fixed speed heat pump. Heat pump capacity and performance change depending on air and water conditions, it can be hard to compare different pool heat pump products.” A well-engineered heat pump is a great option for pools. Pools have a large thermal-mass and can hold their temperature for a period of time, allowing the system to completely shut down till the next day saving money on the filter pump operation time.

Image courtesy of Hot Water Heatpumps

P38 A recent case study Watene shares is a project at Titirangi Primary School in Auckland. “The outcome aim was to create a water temperature of between 26-28 degrees, from September to April. “To do this, we had to remove an old Heliocol system – this was made in Israel out of plastic composite. This system had been installed on timber beams. PVC, Plastic and solar composite materials expand and contract. Timber does not. This caused the solar manifolds to move, while the timber remained rigid, causing the panels to snap and leak. “We worked with the school to remove and reinstall a system fit for purpose. Once the school had confirmed funding to replace the roofing, we removed the system and then re-installed the solar system with a life expectancy of 15-20 years and a 10-year warranty.”

options available to New Zealand schools to help with solar system costs, given the environmental benefits. “We work with a range of funding organisations, who can apply for funding throughout NZ for most regions. They work on the best solution and will then facilitate the funding process,” says Watene.

system for their water flow.

Kevin Trigg of Hot Water Heat Pumps is an expert in the field of heat pump water heaters, working with schools around the country to keep their swimming pools warm. He says, “Pool heat pumps are a very efficient form of water heating. Generally, they are five times cheaper to operate than electric resistance heating and LPG, and half the operating cost of natural gas. It also has the reliability of not being dependant on the sun and doesn’t need extra water pumps as heat pumps use the filtration

Inverters are currently a good example of this. An inverter is not a heating system, but a technology used for some pool heat pumps.

He warns schools to beware of sub-standard offerings: “Unfortunately, pool heat pumps are an unregulated industry and anyone can say anything and test in any condition to make their machine seem better than another.

“Space heating heat pumps and inverter washing machines/ microwaves, etc., are all highly regulated industries and must meet energy performance standards. This is not the case for pool heat pumps, where most inverters don’t actually ‘invert’, but operate at 100

Watene says having HiPEC PVC composite runs that are very long, means they are very efficient. “So heating a pool can happen within the day, given available sun.” He recommends systems designed to withstand the harsh NZ sunshine, which are installed by approved providers. “Solar systems that have both not been installed correctly or cannot handle the NZ UV, will break down and cause serious damage to roof areas.” There are a range of funding

Bucklands Beach Primary, Image courtesy of Sunbather

PROPERTY

We pride ourselves in providing the most suitable technology for a given application. As a New Zealand manufacturer and engineering company, we have spent the last 40 years leading and supporting the industry. There are schools nationwide that still have our heat pumps on their pools from over 20 years ago, all thanks to our quality design, construction and components. Many of our older models can still be repaired as parts are readily available, whereas most imports have less than half the life expectancy and parts are often an issue. Keeping your pool covered is key, according to Trigg. “A cover is an essential pool item to inhibit heat loss and evaporation. They can literally half the heat loss. It is important to get a good thermal cover to lower the running costs of your heating system,” he says. Looking ahead, the technology in this field, like every other, will progress, says Trigg. “Technology is an ever-evolving animal, and the industry will be in a time of transition for at least the next few years while refrigerants with different properties continue to be developed and make their way into the mainstream. “It is important to get the right technology for the job. Inverters, for example, are great and efficient for maintaining low thermal-mass applications like space heating, but not as suitable for high thermalmass applications. To have an efficient system, it is important to use a reputable company with a long history to avoid costly repairs and maintenance in the longer term.” Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

Targeting your pool’s temperature Because we install all kinds of heat sources, we have an impartial view on what to install. Our range is Heat pumps, gas heating, Pool covers and rollers and solar heating. Within our solar heating range we supply Hybrid PV panels, Suntube 2 ridged panels and solar matting (HiPEC matting). We would find the best option for your school and make sure it is fit for purpose. For most schools we suggest 26-28 degrees as a maximum target temp. We suggest this for a few reasons, but water quality would be our key priority. We can achieve a target temperature as follows: •

Solar heating

•

Pool cover - 4mm Thermal heat guard cover

•

Heat pump

•

Gas heater

•

Diesel heater

•

Ambient air temp (Outside of our control)

A cover adds as much value to the target temperature as any other heating source. A primary heat source is the heat source that is the key driver or will do the heavy heat lifting. Hands down Solar heating or the sun, is the most powerful and most efficient way to heat water. It is by far the least offensive way to heat

water. Simply put your hand on a car roof on any given day and you will feel the power of the suns free energy.

Aug), the air temp will not allow you to swim anyway.

Solar and gas are the fastest ways to heat water. One is the cheapest and one is the most expensive way to heat water. Solar is almost FREE and gas will cost thousands to give you a similar outcome.

The pool cover is the key item and critical in the heating equation. The cover on the pool will drive the temperature up. Once the heat reaches the target temperature, the pool cover - 4mm thermal heat guard, will retain the temperature and reduce evaporation.

There is a misconception that solar doesn’t work and it is inconsistent. There is a point where solar doesn’t work during the year, but at this stage in the season(May -

You can read more on our blog www.sunbather.co.nz/blogs/news/ perfecttemp and also see examples of how we’ve worked with other schools on www.sunbather.co.nz

The ultimate swimming season 40

Temperature

At Sunbather NZ, we specialise in pool heating and automation. We focus on the outcome and work backwards on a great solution.

Solar with thermal cover

Heat pump

Ambient Water temp Solar with cover

June

July

August

September

October

Solar - No cover

Heat pump

November December

January

Ambient water temp - Average water temp

February

March

April

Spa pool

May

Sunbather NZ, we specialise in pool heating and automation. We focus on the outcome and work backwards on a great solution. Because we install all kinds of heat sources, we are impartial on what to install. Our range includes: • • • •

Heat Pumps Gas Heating Pool Covers and Rollers Solar Heating

Contact us today to find out how we can assist to find the best solution for your school and make sure it’s fit for purpose. Justin@sunbather.co.nz Mobile 02102332600 www.sunbather.co.nz Facebook/Sunbathernz Instagram/Sunbathersolarnz

Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

PROPERTY

CASE STUDY

Rival school grounds maintained by same professional team By Heather Barker Vermeer Industry Reporter

When neighbouring schools on Auckland’s North Shore pull on their sports jerseys, they’re fierce competitors. The playing field beneath their feet, however, is maintained by the same professional team. Since 2017, Recreational Services has been keeping Westlake Boys’ High School and Rosmini College’s sports fields and school grounds in top condition. Besides maintaining a polished outdoor environment for both schools through day-to-day minor repairs, paint touch-ups and bin emptying, Recreational Services is behind their professional quality sports fields, having delivered premier pitch renovations, maintenance and matchday preparation for both. The nationwide service provider worked with Westlake Boys’ sports director to plan and deliver the school’s sports fields overhaul. The contractor now manages two soil fields used for rugby, rugby league, football, cricket, PE classes, lacrosse, athletics, and two sand carpet fields also used for multiple sports. Their service entails mowing, line marking, irrigation management and more. Recreational Services also maintains the school’s full-size artificial football field carrying out grooming and sweeping. Consulting divsion, Sports Surface Design Management Services (SSDM), also provided a

Westlake Boys’ High School, Image courtesy of Recreational Services

feasibility study for the upgrade of the sand fields. Westlake Boys’ Principal David Ferguson says, “Our cricket block and outfield is now excellent and something we are really proud of.” Ferguson told School News that outsourcing these services has been easy with Recreational Services. “They have been reliable, proactive and easy to communicate with. They consistently do a good job.” And he recommends other schools follow suit. “They’re a great team who have always responded to whatever we have brought up with them. They’re very knowledgeable, have great staff, and we are really happy with them.” Rosmini Headmaster Nixon Cooper is equally an advocate of

outsourcing the school’s ground maintenance and caretaking services. He says: “Working with Recreational Services has enabled the school's outdoor environment to be at its best. The school has developed a close working relationship with the Recreational Services ground staff. The Recreational Services groundsman is on friendly first name terms with many of the staff.” Recreational Services manage one sand carpeted field, one sand couch grass field, one sand Kikuyu field, and two soil fields for the all-boys Catholic secondary school. To improve drainage and playability, they gravel banded the school’s number one and two fields. A feasibility study to improve the drainage and field

Rosmini College, Image courtesy of Recreational Services

space optimisation of fields two, three and four were also carried out through SSDM. Headmaster Cooper added, “The main positive from the relationship has been fields that the college can be proud of. The maintenance of the cricket pitch has been particularly impressive and visiting teams comment on the quality of the pitch. We would have no hesitation in recommending Recreational Services to other schools.” Recreational Services’ managing director Brett Turner says, “Rosmini and Westlake are on the field competitors, but both schools’ sports fields and school grounds are looked after by the same professional team, and we are extremely proud of that.”

Westlake Boys’ High School, Image courtesy of Recreational Services

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Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

THE COMPLETE SPORTS PACKAGE Services we offer Maintenance and Management •

Line-marking

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Don’t let floor safety ‘slip’ By Heather Barker Vermeer Industry Reporter

Many slips, trips and falls are preventable, and there are several solutions you can employ at school to eliminate or minimise the risk. Heading into winter, schools need to think particularly about floor safety requirements for wet surfaces. Slip resistance is the aim for ramps, steps, slopes, entrances, classrooms, and sports halls, but schools also want to consider aesthetics.

Thousands of people across Aotearoa New Zealand are injured each year by slipping over on wet or uneven surfaces. Winter is the month that presents the highest level of danger for slips and trips, with wet weather and dampness putting otherwise safe surfaces into the hazard zone.

Industry voice, David Probett of Alumat has plenty of insight to share with schools for a slip-free winter, starting with his top three considerations for schools ahead of the slippery season… Schools should always start by looking at their entrances, says Probett. He notes that matting

should serve two purposes: “It should enhance the appearance of the entrance, and keep interior surfaces clean and dry.” Safety, of course, always comes first. Probett says, “Entrance matting needs to comply with fire regulations, and all products should be certified as meeting

HEALTH & SAFETY

the standard required. Either a copy of the certificate needs to be provided, or a Product Technical Statement could suffice. The entrance matting system needs to effectively dry footwear to prevent slipping on other hard surfaces within the building that are generally not slip resistant. Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

Probett suggests these three main safety aspects to entrance matting to consider:

How do schools balance safety and practicality with aesthetics?

Probett advises: “Entries need to look good and welcoming. A well-designed and installed entrance mat will provide safety, protection to other interior surfaces, and look great. Infills for both aluminium type and modular solutions are available in a number of colours, including black, silver, red, sisal and brown.”

While any existing matting may have been compliant with slip resistance when originally installed, some mat types become a slip hazard themselves due to wear. Some aluminium type mats can become hazardous when the infill strips make little or no contact with foot traffic. At times of extra heavy traffic in wet weather, some institutions place additional roll up matting further inside the building. This can be helpful, but if the wrong type is selected, these mats may slip and ‘bunch up’, creating a tripping hazard. Rigid mats with ramping that stays in place are essential. Check also for trip hazards, such as a bar or change of height at the threshold. Even a change of height as little as 10mms can cause tripping.

An Alumat installed at Al Khor Academy in Qatar, Photo courtesy of Alumat

“Our most prestigious school project has been in, of all places, Qatar. We were contacted by a company in Qatar asking if we would send them a large order of entrance matting at the Al Khor Academy.

The entrance matting system needs to eﬀectively dry footwear to prevent slipping

Entrance non-slip options include aluminium and infill matting, which can be made to measure for both mat wells for surface-mounted situation. Modular matting systems are also an option, says Probett.

One of the projects Probett most enjoying being a part of was a school contract overseas.

“DIY installation is straightforward, and it is versatile, being able to be placed in matwells, or on any hard surface with ramping to eliminate trip hazards.”

“The order was sizeable, over three tons, and they wanted most of the mats urgently, so they said they will have them flown to Qatar. The project was a great success and the company sent us photos of the finished product installed, which was great to see.”

Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

HEALTH & SAFETY

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Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

Sport participation impacts mental health

By Rosie Clarke, Editor

Badly managed school sports can cause staff headaches and negatively impact student wellbeing. Mental health researcher Helen Street warned ABC that compulsory participation in sports days and carnivals can make students more reluctant to exercise and take part in activities ever again. She said: “Forcing kids to compete when they're not wanting to can cause extreme anxiety. It can be really humiliating and stressful for them.” Teamwork, sportsmanship, resilience, and physical stamina are all things that come about when students feel supported, not humiliated. So, ‘bringing together your school community’ should be at the forefront of all school sport decision-making. More broadly, stress is the most prevalent of mental health issues and the fastest growing condition is anxiety, according to 2019 research published by independent research group Roy Morgan. “This is particularly

Participation has dropped below 50 percent for the first time in over a decade

true of our young people, with 22 percent of 14-17-year-olds now reporting that they suffer from anxiety (compared to just six percent nine years ago) and almost one-third of 18-24-year-olds suffering from anxiety (32 percent, compared to only 11 percent back in 2011). A bright spot in the research was that those who played team sport generally reported lower levels of anxiety, stress, and depression. When structuring sports activities, competitions, or events, consider streaming events so that low-stakes games take place alongside competitive ones. Include activities that require balance, navigational ability or problem solving to encourage learners

of varied abilities to participate. Introduce silly prizes and prioritise fun. Consider sensory needs by setting up a ‘quiet zone’ for more relaxed activities. Encourage costumes! Done right, engaging young people in sports can have a hugely positive impact on their wellbeing. In an earlier study, Roy Morgan found that the more than one million adults who said they participate regularly in team sport were less likely than the Average Joe to experience depression, anxiety, and/or intense stress. Any event that encourages students to be more active and helps with their physical development and general health is a winner and this is a huge incentive for sports

day events. However, sport is at its best when it breaks down barriers between people, encourages new friendships, and (frankly) is lots of fun.

Participation plummets post-COVID School Sport NZ’s census data last year revealed that the overall number of students taking part in school sports had fallen to 48 percent. The organisation revealed this was the first-time participation had dropped below 50 percent in more than a decade. Desperate to get numbers back up, the school sport system is looking for ways to create new opportunities for students to play and engage with sports in 2021 and beyond.

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SPORTS & RECREATION

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With rugby participation on the decline and basketball on the upswing, Basketball New Zealand suggests the Ministry of Education and local councils boost funding to reflect the sport’s rising popularity and further increase participation. Chief Executive Ian Potter told Stuff, “Basketball-participation has almost doubled in just 10 years, whereas basketball's funding certainly hasn't … To play, kids need opportunities with a ball, coach and a court. This relentless growth has seen basketball facilities become prime real-estate, with court

People who play team sport report lower anxiety, stress, and depression but forced participation can hurt kids bookings bursting. And the majority of our associations are at their wits-end trying to get enough support to provide coaches, referees, and venues for their players and leagues.” School sports advocates, like the Wellington teacher who

launched a petition earlier this year to change rules barring teenage boys from playing netball, are also pushing for more opportunities that might encourage participation. Netball NZ responded to the petition with a male participation work group to launch in June, but the

official rules still limit high school boys from playing competitively. Speaking with Stuﬀ in April, teacher Lauren Fox said: “It’s important part of netball still remains to be a traditional sport for women. But ... more boys are playing, and then it stops at year nine. It just seems unfair.”

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Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

actively with their peers and gain a sense of belonging within their classes and the wider school,” notes the Ministry.

What are the most popular school sports nationwide? According to School Sport New Zealand, “Netball remains the most popular sport in our secondary schools with over 25,000 students involved, followed by Basketball (24,000), Rugby (24,000), Volleyball (22,000), and Football (20,700).” All of the most popular sports

centrally require courts and balls, but schools with more diverse offerings and equipment might see other sports rise in popularity, whether it’s table tennis and badminton, or athletics and gymnastics. In combination with Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC), the Ministry of Education recommends that schools consider cocurricular physical activities

Tennis... everyone’s game! Tennis Hot Shots is the world’s best starter programme. It introduces modified equipment and teaching practices, underpinned by thousands of hours of research and input from the world’s best coaches. Hot Shots is offered to Kiwi kids across the country, with lots of low-cost or free options available to get involved. Tennis is a sport for all ages and abilities. Each year thousands of children in schools across New Zealand experience Hot Shots– if your school isn’t yet part of the tennis revolution, now is the time to start!

Hot Shots in Schools Through Hot Shots Community Play, free training can be offered Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

outside curriculum time to encourage participation. This could be unstructured games before/after school or during lunch; or it could be as part of organised sports or clubs outside-school-hours. The key is creating opportunities wherever possible. “Participating and contributing in physical activity contexts enables students to engage

“They learn to make connections with others, contribute their own ideas, and create opportunities for others, for example, when partaking in adventure-based activities, when working together in the outdoors, and when demonstrating leadership skills.”

Trailblazing sporting ethos with trophies and prizes Sporting awards can also play a positive role in boosting participation. While there’s been a fair bit of debate (since around the time the word ‘millennial’ was coined) on whether schools should hand out participation trophies; experts suggest benefits! Assistant Professor Jonathan Fader remarks in Psychology Today, “Kids who are praised for their effort rather than their ability tend to strive harder, enjoy activities more, and deal with failure in a more resilient way.”

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for teachers in communities across New Zealand that will help you get kids out on court straight away. You don’t need tennis courts at school, any paved surface works great! If you would like to hear more about opportunities for schools in your area to receive a free training session visit www. tennis.kiwi/schoolnews and register your interest. We’ve got a Hot Shots school equipment pack including racquets, balls and mini-nets valued at $1000 for a lucky winner! SPORTS & RECREATION

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On the surface of sport

BEFORE

AFTER

Whakarewarewa School, Image courtesy of Teamturf

By Heather Barker Vermeer Industry Reporter

Sport is at the heart of our national identity. Sport New Zealand’s The Value of Sport study suggests that not only does being physically active create happier, healthier people, but better-connected communities and a stronger New Zealand. Stats taken from the national governing body’s survey of 2,000 Kiwis showed 84 percent believe sport and physical activity bring people together and create a sense of belonging.

Seventy-four percent said sport and physical activity help build vibrant communities and 86 percent agree that high performance sport help instil a sense of pride in our country and contribute to our national identity as New Zealanders.

School sport is where it all starts Offering strong sports programmes at your school requires providing quality opportunities and facilities. Playing surfaces must be well maintained and designed impressive sports surfaces will win fans and help your school build its reputation for

Whakarewarewa School, Image courtesy of Teamturf

its quality sports offerings. If your sports surfaces are in need of a little TLC, there are many considerations to take into account. If you get it right, you can achieve year-round, quality coverage for a wide range of sports and reduce spend on several sport-specific solutions.

Industry insights from sports resurfacing experts Phil Lewis, managing director at Team Turf is seeing more schools move towards a catch-all approach to sports surface provision, with spend and space at a premium.

Phil Lewis

“Multi-use surfaces are ever increasing in schools and our community facilities. We have seen a move towards schools incorporating as many sports codes into their multi-use court areas as possible to maximise the space they have.” Lewis says sports specific surfaces designed for one individual sport, provide the best possible ‘ball bounce and or roll’ and underfoot traction, depending on the requirements of the sport. But schools cannot always afford the outlay – and the physical space. When it comes to resurfacing, it is important to undertake a thorough check of existing old, worn asphalt or concrete and complete remedial work as required before installing a new surface. Lewis says: “This may involve grinding of any high spots and patch repairing any low areas to make the new surface as level as possible.”

Lyttleton Primary School, Image courtesy of Numat Industries

SPORTS & RECREATION

Good drainage is also an important consideration. “Impermeable hard surfaces should have a minimum cross fall of one-percent, e.g., 200mm fall over a distance of 20m.” Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

In terms of design, Lewis sees more schools taking a brighter is better approach. He says, “We have seen a big move within the school industry towards brighter, contrasting colours used on their multi-use areas. This can be used to define the different sports codes or just to create a contrasting court surround. It's also a great way to incorporate the school colours within the court.”

prominent position of the school.

Surfaces have developed dramatically since the 1980s, when a standard sand-filled 19mm straight fibre synthetic turf was often the ‘go to’ for tennis courts and multi-use areas, Lewis says.

Consider desire lines

“In the past five years, synthetic turf technology has come a long way to create a twisted, texturised yarn, which I highly recommend for schools. When installed, it requires a lot less sand infill, has more yarn to create a more usable surface for the kids and lower maintenance for school budgets. Twisted yarn fibres provide the ultimate hockey and netball surface, as it replicates a smooth ball roll and great traction underfoot of internationally approved services.” CREO’s Larissa Rose is an industry expert on transforming school sports surfaces nationwide. She compounds the multi-sport theme…

Larissa Rose

“Schools are turning to design to help them make the most of their available space so they can cater for a broader range of school needs than they have in the past.” When deciding how to upgrade surfaces, Rose says, “Space and flow are important considerations, which will have an impact on the location of the sports surface.”

Rose explains: “Will students be tempted to duck through a game or busy sporting practice to get somewhere faster? A change in colour gives people a subtle warning indicator that they are entering a different zone. Wider edge buffers help to do the same thing. We’re seeing more ground painting being used in conjunction with turf and rubber.” When it comes to safety, surface temperature is an area that shouldn’t be overlooked, says Rose. “Traditional turf can get very hot and may need to be covered or shaded in some way. Lighter coloured materials, such as paint or rubber, retain less heat and can act as a good substitute for artificial turf.” The key for design is not just to provide a great sports surface, Rose says, but to ensure it is located and sized appropriately to provide for other needs too. “Often smaller outdoor spaces can be developed to cater for other activities such as outdoor assemblies, learning, or allweather eating and play. “Sports surfaces don’t have to be the traditional artificial turf courts; they may include a combination of surfaces.

Sumner Primary School, Image courtesy of Numat Industries

Another great option is poured rubber, which is particularly useful for reducing noise perfect for schools with sports courts close to classrooms.” PlaytopNZ is an industry leader in New Zealand when it comes to wet pour safety surfacing: spokesperson, Chelsea BoyceMcDonald shares her viewpoint: Commenting on the specific safety requirements schools should be aware of, she suggests: “With wet pour applications, ask for certification for permeability and slip resistance as you can't be too careful. Binder/Rubber ratio needs to be bang on to retain permeability and test certificates are evidence of a quality product and proven application methods. “Anti-bacterial wet pour safety surfacing applications are also now available for aquatic applications, which I think we will see used around Olympic pools, changing areas, and for outdoor splash pad play areas for toddlers. Silver, which is a natural antibacterial agent, has been intelligently incorporated to reduce bacterial build up

without compromising the permeability of the surfacing.” For those of you who are curious about design solutions that can still create a great aesthetic, on top of a practical, safe playing space, Chelsea advises that, “where wet pour safety surfacing is used as a court application, schools should request that the lines are also wet poured. “Lines painted on afterwards are just creating ongoing maintenance… Eventually, they start to wear away and look shabby. However, when lines are wet poured as well, they are completely permanent. It may cost more but you basically have a maintenance-free surface that only needs a hosing and a sweep. “Only do this when you are 100 percent sure the lines never need changing. It is the ideal solution idea for a basketball half round, for example, but perhaps not a game that could phase out.” Finally, she warns: “Avoid black! Black is just too hot under foot for children and can actually be dangerous!”

“We are seeing more surfaces that are designed to accommodate a range of sports. Here, there is a fine line between achieving a practical, multi-use surface, and over-doing it with linemarking resulting in a surface that is confusing for players. “Outdoor learning spaces and ‘learning through play’ are becoming very popular with many schools and the desire to accommodate these new ways of learning often puts pressure on the more traditional sports surfaced areas. We see this particularly at schools that have limited space or a sports surface that takes up the central Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

Randwick Park School, Image courtesy of Teamturf

SPORTS & RECREATION

CASE STUDY BEFORE

AFTER All images courtesy of Creo

Creo transforms daily life at Balclutha Primary School When wet weather means closed off sports fields and students hurting themselves on rough asphalt, you know you have a playground problem!

– it was a terrible playground.” While searching for a solution to this surfacing nightmare, Paddy found Creo. Intrigued by Creo’s complete ‘design and build’ offering, the school engaged the company to create a plan for their playground.

For Balclutha Primary School, this was a daily reality.

“Creo came on-board and designed a playground that we thought would better suit our needs. We wanted a whole design and build and finished project. They had all the design and all the ability to deliver the programme that we wanted.”

School Principal Paddy Ford recalls the situation: “We had a playground that was 60 years old. Concrete blocks. No reinforcing, just slabs. There were holes. There were rough edges. Teachers on duty had to carry sticking plasters around. It was shocking

AFTER

Pleased with the design and confident that Creo could deliver the project,

the school went ahead with the proposed works. The new playground surfaces have been a real win for the school’s staff and students who now have an all-weather play option. Playground health and safety incidents have dropped dramatically. “It’s made a huge difference to our school and solved a lot of problems. This has given us an all-purpose surface we can use through all the seasons,” says Paddy. As well as being a benefit to the school’s staff and pupils, the

new playground has been a hit with the school’s community. Paddy observes with delight: “The look of amazement and surprise from past pupils, past teachers, and past parents when they come in from what they had to what we’ve got now has been great to watch.” Perhaps the best response to the new play areas is that of the principal himself… When asked what he thinks of the new design, Paddy beams, “In all the projects I’ve ever been involved in, in a school, including remodelling, and government initiatives, this one here is one that I’m most proud of.”

AFTER

SPORTS & RECREATION

Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

CASE STUDY

Vibrant, engaging multi-purpose area at Mountview School! Two separate areas of worn asphalt area covering just over 1,100m2 was transformed into a vibrant new courtyard and sports court, thanks to the artificial turf installation experts at Teamturf.

BEFORE All images courtesy of Teamturf

AFTER

Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

The school was very specific about what colours they wanted to use, and it took four sets of CAD drawings for the final design. This lengthy design process paid off with the completed project a vibrant, fun, and engaging area the school and local community love to use. The old asphalt base on the courtyard area needed some significant repair work prior to the installation of the turf, due to broken and lifting concrete causing a safety concern. The installation technicians patched the uneven surface with a specialist levelling compound resulting in a level and safe area, ready for installation of the artificial grass. Teamturfs vibrant Coolplay turf was chosen to brighten the courtyard area along with the inclusion of four square and hopscotch markings. SPORTS & RECREATION

The multi-use court area was designed to maximise the space and utilise the large colour range available. Mountview School selected the 16mm Probounce Coolplus surface, Teamturf’s premier multi-use school surface. The twisted yarn fibres and lower sand volume combined with a vibrant range of colours gives the court a great visual appearance. The texturised monofilament yarn fibre provides a multitude of benefits including a nondirectional influence on hockey ball roll and a consistent ball bounce for all other ball sports codes. The basketball keys have been installed in contrasting colours and the surrounds of the court area have been utilised for four square - clearly a popular pastime at this school! Anna Norris, Principal at Mountview School said: “Our outside school environment is as important to us as our indoor learning spaces. Our indoor spaces are bright and vibrant, and we wanted the same for our outdoor education areas. Our kids love basketball and netball, and the turf makes it extra special to play on!”

CASE STUDY

Images courtesy of PlaytopNZ, Photography by Hannah Mc Alistar and her two beautiful daughters Winter'Rose and Audrey.

PlaytopNZ achieves brilliant result at Somerﬁeld School Somerfield School has a brilliant new play space design, which maximises limited space to successfully achieve the activities and excitement of a much larger play area…

“It just seems like rubber but it's not that simple,” says Andy. “Rubber mulch, for example, we wanted to supply but can't as it doesn't pass ignition and toxicology tests, so by our standards is a no–no. You just have to be so careful as, after all, these are children's playgrounds so health and safety is paramount.”

When Somerfield school decided to create a play space in a small area between class rooms, one might be skeptical, but the result was brilliant.

Another piece of advice from Andy is that if you’re going to use an architect or playground designer, use somebody independent from the supply and installation of playgrounds and playground surfacing.

With the entire area basically becoming a cluster of mounds, playground designer Tina Dyer and her team at ParkCentral worked with Peter Beets of Playworks Construction to drastically increase the play surface area. PlaytopNZ’s Andy McDonald, whose team installed the wet pour safety surfacing, was really impressed by the use of space: "By creating these mounds, you have children in tunnels and children can also be playing above the tunnels. The sides of the mounds have rope climbing, step climbing and a trampoline at the top. These mounds have really created much more activity than what could have been achieved otherwise.” “All safety surfacing products, wood chip, turf and wet pour will always have their place and a combination of all three makes for a great sensory space,” says Andy but with this area surrounded by

“You want to get several quotes, not be locked into certain suppliers. classrooms, I think the wetpour really achieved a clean, tidy, seamless non-slip space.

and has 28 pairs of used sports shoes or equivalent manufacture waste in every square meter.

“We love a challenge with the design work getting more and more detailed,” says Andy, “but when there is a lot going on in a small space like Somerfield School, some clean colour changes is all you need or there’s just too much visually going on. Somerfield is a great example of ‘less is more’ when it comes to design and colour choices with the wet pour safety surfacing.”

"Our Nike Grind range is getting more and more popular with designers and schools putting more and more emphasis on recycling, and this is a perfect opportunity to make a more sustainable choice.

Somerfield also used a lot of the Playtop with Nike Grind range of safety surfacing, which is exclusive in New Zealand to PlaytopNZ

Andy's advice with surfacing is to always ask for test certificates. Playtop is extensively tested with test certificates for critical fall height requirements, permeability, toxicology, ignition, migration, microplastics, indentation and much more.

SPORTS & RECREATION

“If a concept design is free, there will be a catch, so you’re much better off paying for a design and for that design to be your intellectual property to use as you please. “Also, involve the kids. There are so many bright kids with great ideas. To finish off, Andy says: “It's pretty cool to have a business where you’re part of creating safe and enjoyable play spaces for children that will last for many years.” Andy says, “Everything should be about the kids,” and with eightyear-old son, Steele, and two-yearold daughter, River, he has the perfect critics for his work! Term 2, 2021 | schoolnews.co.nz

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Perfect for playgrounds and sporting surfaces Sustainable and environmentally friendly Water permeable and highly durable Fully tested with certification Available in eight standard colours Combines well with standard Playtop EPDM 28 pairs of used sports shoes or equivalent manufacture scrap per square meter • Exclusive in New Zealand to PlaytopNZ

www.playtopnz.com - 0800 752 986 - andy@playtop.co.nz SPORTS & RECREATION

Play space. Learning space. Creative space. creospace.co.nz Call us now on 0800 000 334 for a free assessment.