Waiariki Today Issue 10

Rotorua | Taupo | Tokoroa | Whakatane Issue 10 February 2010

1,000 Nurses

from the best* School of Nursing in the country

WIN a luxury

spa treatment

NEW

community rec centre set to open

Meet our 1,000 nursing graduate

Healthcare qualifications for nurse assistants, infection control, massage therapy and homeopathy

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waiariki.ac.nz *Nursing Council of New Zealnd state final examination resuts 2006-2009

Kia Ora Issue:

10

Next Issue:

June 2010

Deputy Chief Executive:

John Snook

Editor:

Lyn Maner

Sub-editor:

Sue Gunn, Maketing Manager

Photos:

Kristin O’Driscoll

Designer:

Charlotte Shadbolt, Fuel Advertising

Printer:

APN Print

E-mail:

marketing@waiariki.ac.nz

Happy New Year to all!

Address: Marketing Department Waiariki Institute of Technology Mokoia Drive Private Bag 3028 Rotorua 3046

Roto rua

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| Whak atane 2008| Tokoro a a | Taupo Febr uary Rotoru 4

Christa George, Director, Support Services Te Pou o Te Aro Manaaki

This time of year is always a delight for me and for everyone at Waiariki. I feel anticipation in the air! Firstly, the anticipation of staff returning from their Christmas breaks ready to work with new cohorts of students and welcoming back existing students. Secondly, and most importantly for me, the anticipation of new students who eagerly want to begin their study and start working towards their new goals.

This year our calendars have a big red circle around Monday, February 22 – the day Waiariki campuses throughout the region will once again buzz with thousands of students as they commence their studies in Semester 1.

Our lecturers and support personnel have been busy preparing for what will be one of Waiariki’s busiest years ever. This edition of Waiariki Today will highlight some

of the excellent things these students and our staff – and the community – can look forward to: new qualifications, additional student support programmes to ensure success, new initiatives that aim to future-proof careers, new staff members bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge to their schools, and so much more.

Beginning with success stories about Waiariki’s School of Nursing and Health Studies, and ending with news of our award-winning athletes, this edition is full of great news and events for 2010 which I hope you’ll find interesting, if not inspiring. If the new decade means meeting some personal and/or professional goals for yourself, I hope you’ll contact one of our friendly staff members to find out how we can help you to kick off your New Year with a bang!

Iwi News

5 May 2008 IssueRotorua | Taupo | Tokoroa | Whakatane Issue 6 October 2008

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Missed an issue of Waiariki Today?

Waiariki’s three-times-per-year publication brings you the news, events and happenings of Waiariki Institute of Technology, its staff and students.

If you’ve missed previous issues, you can view them online at www.waiariki.ac.nz, or request the one/s you’re missing to be mailed free of charge: marketing@waiariki.ac.nz.

Front cover photo: Erin Maguire is the 1,000th student to graduate with a Bachelor of Nursing from Waiariki Institute of Technology.

The 22-year-old said she has always wanted to be nurse in a hospital emergency department. After passing her state final exams which allowed her to become registered, she is now doing what she dreamed of and loving her work at Waikato Hospital. She credits Waiariki’s excellent nursing school and dedicated staff for preparing her for her career.

She is pictured in her graduation regalia in front of Rotorua Museum and Blue Baths. To read more about Ms Maguire, turn to her profile on page 5.

I hope everyone enjoyed the festive holiday season. The weather has been wonderful and it appears that our beaches have been welcome hosts to the many who ventured with their families to bask in the life-giving and healing powers of our ocean waters. May the year reward you well as you attain the intended outcomes of the hopes and dreams that you have planned for the next 12 months. Kia kaha, kia manawanui.

Okere Falls Gates The Kawatapuarangi rohe seems to have started the year with a hiss and a roar. I was told the Rotoiti Citizens and Ratepayers Association had the largest turnout ever at their annual January meeting on Sunday the 10th at the Ngati Pikiao Rugby League Club Rooms. It was reported that about 60 people had to stand outside as the club room was too small. What caused this unprecedented attendance?

The future demise of the gates are causing a great deal of concern for nearly all who live on the shores of Lake Rotoiti.

To date, it would be an understatement to say that a number of differing views are gaining momentum. Ngati Pikiao has a view, the boat owners have a view, Fish & Game New Zealand has a view, the business fraternity has a view, in fact, everyone you talk to has a view.

There are those who want the gates removed; there are many who believe the gates must remain including the current water levels; some want the water level raised even higher; and there is a growing number who want the water lowered to the pre-gates level.

There are also those who want more data before committing themselves to a position. Despite the seeming disparity that may have a polarizing effect, it is important for the iwi and the district community to forge a collective stance so everyone can work toward being a winner. Te Arawa Lakes Trust will call a meeting soon of representatives from all interested parties to embark upon this journey.

E Te Arawa e!

The year 2009 will be remembered by Te Arawa people as a year when a number of its nationally recognised plumes were plucked from its midst. It began with Taini Morrison, then the Maika brothers, with Robert Biddle close on their heels.

Several weeks later, the passing of Sir Howard Morrison, New Zealand’s most celebrated and legendary entertainer, struck deep into the heart of the nation. He still is sadly missed.

Two months later, Arapeta Tahana, described as an aspiring Te Arawa leader, caused the tribe to once again reel. People from all walks of life came from all over the country to pay their respects. Many stories were shared about the experiences he encountered during his reign as CEO of Waiariki. Here he found himself swimming in the colonised reality of Pakeha domination and Māori subjection. He defended his cultural beliefs and became a trail blazer in bicultural education at the tertiary level. Working against the odds, he built a fine marae, Tangatarua, which today serves as a catalyst to enable all to taste the fruits of a new mosaic pattern that embraces the richness of our growing cultural diversity. Thus, on behalf of Ngati Pikiao and Te Arawa whaanui, I wish to express our deep appreciation and gratitude to the current CE Dr Pim Borren for his courageous declaration of a public apology at Alby’s funeral.

Waiariki, nga mihi miharo rawa ki a koutou katao.

Finally, the unexpected and untimely death of Hawea Vercoe, a rising energetic star who had much to offer Māoridom as a promising future leader.

The next edition will acknowledge his accomplishments in a more comprehensive and detailed account.

A kaati, noho ora mai taatou katoa.

Winning at Waiariki is EASY! Leah Amoroa was the lucky winner of a new Lenovo S10e Netbook, a competition which ran in Waiariki Today, Issue 9 (October 2009).

Leah Amoroa and her shiny new Lenovo S10e Netbook.

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One week after picking up her new, blue laptop, she moved to Palmerston North to begin study at Massey University.

The single mother of one said her PC was about five years old and running out of memory so the Lenovo will get lots of use while she’s studying toward her degree. Waiariki

waiariki today

pre-loaded Microsoft Office 2007 software on the computer before giving it to Ms Amoroa.

Ms Amoroa, whose mum suggested she enter, correctly answered three easy questions via email which put her into the draw. She and her daughter Tayah picked up the computer on Tayah’s 14th birthday, so considered it a birthday gift! They were both excited and very, very grateful for their new computer.

To win... ...a half-hour therapy session at Lake Spa Retreat at Polynesian Spa, simply read the great stories featured in this issue of Waiariki Today, then answer the three simple questions on page 10 - it couldn't be easier! w w w. w a i a r i k i . a c . n z

From Alaska to Rotorua, getting used to life in New Zealand For most of his working life, Don Lemieux has served the communities he lived in by using his medical, chemistry and teaching background to help people of all ages.

Mr Lemieux’s job titles have ranged from community outreach worker, counsellor, and volunteer, to high school and tertiary teacher, and health promoter.

His current role as a health studies lecturer began just over a year ago with Waiariki’s School of Nursing and Health Studies. He teaches anatomy and physiology to Waiariki’s enrolled nursing students, and a Gateway course on cultural sensitivity to secondary school students.

Although he’s still getting to know the many faces on campus, he has already spent time with many in the health industry as one of the presenters at the recent Health Informatics New Zealand (HINZ) symposium in Wellington. The seminar, entitled “Telehealth – Where are We Heading?”, looked at how telehealth is being used as a tool for providing access to health information and treatment for a widely dispersed population.

Telehealth uses computer-based systems and diagnostic equipment to record information and send it to a distant location. Using internet technology to assist healthcare services means providers will have the ability to deliver care outside of traditional places like hospitals and doctors’ offices.

Mr Lemieux lived in Alaska – most of which is rurally populated – for nearly 10 years before moving to New Zealand. He worked for the Alaska Native Health Board in Anchorage as an AIDS training specialist, becoming familiar with the Alaska Community Health Aide model of care and its use of telemedicine technology. He believes this type of programme may provide a solution to healthcare staffing shortages in New Zealand. “My goal is to investigate a programme here at Waiariki,” he said.

Mr Lemieux, a Native American from the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa tribe, moved to New Zealand in 2004. New Zealand is the home of his wife Anne, who is Ngati Maniapoto, and her three adult children, Aaron (27), Rochelle (24), Kieran (21).

Anne met Mr Lemieux while he was living

_ Don Lemieux and his wife, Anne, take a break in Government Gardens near “Waitukei,” a bronze sculpture by Lyonel Grant which represents the coming together of different cultures – symbolic of Don and Anne’s lives.

in Oklahoma and she was on her overseas adventure. They went to see the buffalo together and “it was the beginning of our story,” Mr Lemieux said.

Eventually, Anne moved to Alaska to be with her future husband. After 10 years there, it was time to move here and Mr Lemieux has had to get used to a few differences. Having lived on the Bad River Reservation in Northern Wisconsin, while attending university, and then living in Alaska, he is used to cold temperatures and lots of snow.

“Sometimes I miss the cold, crisp mornings,” he said, “and the mountains. Alaska is about six times bigger in land mass. There are hundreds of thousands of mountains.”

Then there’s the more populated North Island compared to his last home. “What you consider rural is not necessarily rural to me – you have a road system.” In Alaska, modes of transportation in rural areas are more likely to be plane, boat, snowmobile, or hovercraft; winters are more conducive to commuting because cars can be driven across ice-covered rivers and lakes.

Oh, and there are the dogs, too. “My wife almost got run over by a dog sled team while out walking around the village. The dogs are very quiet once they’re running, so she didn’t hear them coming.”

Don Lemieux enjoys his job, enjoys working with his students and said his colleagues are

the best part of going to work. “I think they’re a wonderful group of nurses. They’re very professional and a delight to work with.”

He is very passionate about teaching and credits one of his former teachers for inspiring him to excel. “I had a chemistry teacher in high school who was absolutely enthusiastic about the sciences. She expected us to do well.”

From that, Mr Lemieux formed his own teaching philosophy. “Teachers have to be passionate. If you don’t have that passion, it’s very difficult to pass that enthusiasm along to the students. I think it came from my earliest experience learning science in high school and seeing adults interested in and passionate about what they do. Having a role models like that is very important.”

Waiariki diploma aims to provide much needed, qualified massage therapists Waiariki and a few other community organisations are committed to reviving the dream of Rotorua becoming the spa capital of the South Pacific.

This month a new Diploma in Therapeutic Massage and Spa (Level 6) makes its debut at Waiariki and will fill a need in training in New Zealand for therapists in the rehabilitation massage area. It will be offered through the curriculum of Waiariki’s School of Nursing and Health Studies but students don’t need to be studying nursing to enrol on this two-year qualification.

The development of the diploma, believed to be the first of its kind in New Zealand, was made possible by the educational expertise of the nursing school staff, and the practical expertise of Faye Stewart and Mary Crane from QE Health.

“I find it very hard to find New Zealand therapists who have the experience and qualifications that I need,” said Ms Stewart, spa manager at QE Health. Since she became spa manager eight years ago, she has often had to employ staff from other countries.

Mary Crane (left) and Faye Stewart from QE Health, Rotorua, will teach some of the courses in the new Diploma in Therapeutic Massage and Spa at Waiariki.

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Ms Stewart said she’s glad the diploma has been approved, and working in partnership with members of the community is always satisfying. The result, in this case, is a professionally

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recognised qualification which has support from the local community. Rotorua’s Polynesian Spa will provide clinical placements for students, and Ms Stewart and Ms Crane will teach parts of the course. They look forward to working with students who have a real desire to be part of a satisfying and growing profession.

“There are no courses in New Zealand that teach therapeutic massage or concentrate on the rehabilitation side or on balneotherapy,” said Ms Stewart. “Rotorua is unique with its thermal activity so this is the perfect location to study and train.”

Balneotherapy is the art of using certain spa treatments, including mineral-rich thermal waters and mud baths, for improving health and wellbeing. This type of therapy and the existence of Rotorua’s natural resources are what prompted the building of the historic Rotorua Bath House in the early 1900s.

The new diploma is now Ms Stewart’s ‘bright light at the end of the tunnel.’ She hopes it will provide the skilled and passionate graduates she needs to fill demand at the spa, while Waiariki hopes to provide an alternative avenue of study for people interested in wellness and healthcare environments.

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Come to Waiariki for a career in healthcare

History repeating itself

Waiariki’s School of Nursing and Health Studies is not content to rest on its laurels. The school continues to develop qualifications at Levels 4 through 7 needed by the community, whether aimed at upskilling current healthcare employees or training new ones.

Graduate Diploma in Infection Prevention and Control: new for 2010; for health professionals seeking to specialise in this important field.

Graduate Diploma in Applied Management (health major): new for 2010; for undergraduates seeking additional specialist knowledge and skills in the field of management.

Diploma in Therapeutic Massage and Spa: new for 2010; prepares graduates to work in the spa industry.

Certificate in Health Science (Nursing): new in 2009; prepares nurse assistants and enables registration.

Certificate in Homeopathy: new in 2009; teaches the principles of homeopathy and homeopathic remedies in first aid.

Bachelor of Nursing for Registered Nurses: BN for RN enables registered nurses to gain their undergraduate degree; commenced 1996.

Short Course Certificate in Nursing in New Zealand: for registered nurses seeking to gain a practicing certificate. This qualification and the BN for RN are particularly popular with international students, with approximately 120 students graduating from the two qualifications annually.

Short Course Certificate for Clinical Educators: for registered nurses or health professionals who wish to work alongside healthcare students in the practicum setting.

Additional health qualifications are available in cervical smear taking, preceptorship and more.

Looking back: the first nursing graduating class of Waiariki Community College, 1987.

Fenwick Photography, Rotorua

Back Row: Latham Rodgers, Craig Hughes Third Row: Deidre Walpole, Debbie Frost, Sharon Wilkinson, Leonie Wahanui, Trudi Bowden, Delwyn Carr, Susan Bradshaw, Adrienne Mark, Maria Kilkelly, Leanne Lawton, Veronica Duffy, Bobby Goodfellow, Helen Bovaird, Clivena Ngatai, Suzanne Gulliver, Carolyn Sydenham, Lynda Lang-Kingi Second Row: Jo Brittain, Erin Pepper, Linda Dyer, Mary Brooks, Bronwyn Hawksworth, Fiona Boddy, Cathie Jensen, Justine Palmer, Lisa Wills, Susanne Morgan, Rosalind Jackson, Janette Groot, Michelle Morley, Donna Warena, Christine Boyd-Robinson Front Row: Tania McLean, Trudy Howard, Michelle MacDonald, Diane Prebble, Kathy Balme, Elizabeth Harrington, Jill Dallinger, Debbie Harlow, Julie Narbey, Kate Price, Esther Marsh, Lisa Williams

This month at Waiariki’s graduation ceremony, the 1,000th graduate of the Bachelor of Nursing, Erin Maguire, crossed the stage and received her parchment. What a milestone!

The 22-year-old from Rotorua has always wanted to be a nurse.

“I have always loved the knowledge. I’m a caring person, I’m a real people person. I love to help people and use the knowledge to do that,” she said.

Ms Maguire said she chose to study at Waiariki because she knew the institute’s reputation for training quality nurses was excellent and the highly qualified staff are dedicated to assuring success in all of their students. “They’re all really approachable and really fantastic. They were very good at supporting us, directing us,” she said.

What started out in 1985 as the Comprehensive Nursing Diploma Programme, developed by and commenced at thenWaiariki Community College with 63 students, is now barely recognisable due to growth and changes – all for the better.

The diploma was created following industry recommendations to move nursing education into the polytechnics rather than train nurses in hospitals. A three-year programme was developed which was half theory and half practice.

The practice components are undertaken in local hospitals as well as at other healthcare services in Tauranga, Whakatane, Taupo, Tokoroa and the surrounding rural areas. This shift to comprehensive nursing at Waiariki saw

the closure of hospital-based training at Rotorua, Whakatane and Tauranga hospitals.

The School of Nursing and Health Studies at Waiariki continued to grow during the late 1980s. Then in 1993, a decision was made to follow a national trend to offer the Bachelor of Nursing instead of the Diploma of Nursing. Sharing knowledge and expertise, Waiariki joined with Southland and Taranaki polytechnics to develop this degree. It was delivered for the first time at all three polytechnics in 1995 and was considered to be an innovative and unique collaboration at that time.

Two years later the consortium dissolved and the degree was redesigned to recognise the differences of the populations in each locality and individually tailor their corresponding health needs.

The Bachelor of Nursing at Waiariki has continued to be a successful degree since its inception 15 years ago, providing quality graduates who are greatly sought after in the profession.

The three-year degree produces an average of 80 to 100 nurses a year and has an ongoing list of students hoping to get their foot in the nursing door.

“If you think about this institute, where it’s situated in a rural setting, we have our challenges, so to produce 1,000 Bachelor of Nursing graduates since the degree began is fantastic,” said Patrea Andersen, PhD, associate director of the nursing school.

“We have made a significant contribution to both the local and national workforce. For our size and what we do, we have an ability to retain students and help them succeed.”

Successful nurse assistant training is extended to Eastern Bay of Plenty Waiariki’s School of Nursing and Health Studies has at least two reasons to celebrate the new year.

The first toast goes to the 13 graduates of the Certificate in Health Science (Nursing) who all passed their state final exams in November and are now ready, willing and armed with formal registration to work as registered nurse assistants. The school is extremely proud of this group who were the first to enrol on the new qualification at the beginning of last year.

“In 2009, we delivered this new, one-year qualification for the first time in Rotorua with much success and very positive comments from the community about the students,” said Robin Uncles, health studies site coordinator at Waiariki.

The certificate is open to anyone interested in starting a career in healthcare, or those already employed in healthcare who desire a qualification and/or higher pay.

“To gain registration with the Nursing Council of New Zealand as a nurse assistant,” Mrs Uncles said, “students must sit the state final examination which they did in November.

We were confident of their success and we’re so proud they’ve all passed.”

New graduate Rowena de Malmanche said, “I came into this qualification to gain a higher level in nursing, as a step up from care-giving which I have been doing, and to make sure

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that my care-giving practices were safe. I did this certificate because I knew that a nurse assistant was a regulated and registered role with the Nursing Council of New Zealand, which is different than the role of a healthcare assistant.

Also, the pay level for a nurse assistant is higher than for a healthcare assistant.”

The second toast goes to the Nursing Council of New Zealand who gave its approval for Waiariki to offer this certificate at the Whakatane campus this year, bringing more healthcare training to the Eastern Bay of Plenty.

The scope of practice for the Certificate in Health Science (Nursing) is long-term care and rehabilitation. The elder care sector will benefit from graduates with this qualification.

With two locations now being served, Waiariki is better able to chip away at the growing list of skilled and registered healthcare employees this country desperately needs.

“There has been tremendous support from the community in Whakatane, Kawerau and Opotiki for this qualification as highlighted by the high level of enquiries and enrolments from both those interested in commencing a nursing career and also existing health employees in the region,” Mrs Uncles said.

To facilitate the teaching of the certificate, Trident High School has agreed to Waiariki using their science laboratories, which not only helps logistically, but provides another opportunity for both Waiariki and Trident to promote nursing as an excellent career.

The students will use the specialist nursing skills laboratory at Mokoia Campus in Rotorua. The qualification has 650 hours of practicum for which the school will attempt to place as many students as possible in the Eastern Bay of Plenty.

The first graduates of the one-year Certificate in Health Science (Nursing): L-R: Don Lemieux (lecturer), Keri Manuel, Margie Hermans, Reona Tarei, Shirley Hughes, Demita Ngatai, Lisa Fendall, Mi Young Lee, Rowena de Malmanche, Wendy Das, Linda Cameron, Gwynne Makiri, Tammy Haira-Te Maari, Vanessa Welsh, Lorraine Cooper, Mellisa Te Rauna, Angela Smith.

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Inspiring Ma-ori registered nurses return to their communities Two of Waiariki’s Bachelor of Nursing graduates received special recognition at the end of their studies last year.

Veronica Tawera, Te Whakatohea, Te-Whanau-a-Apanui, Te Arawa, was named “Top Student for Overall Contribution” by the School of Nursing and Health Studies. And for the past two years, Tamar Courtney, Ngati Ranginui, Pirirakau, was selected as Waiariki’s student representative on Te Runanga o Aotearoa, a national Māori student nurses advisory committee for New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO).

Both women began studying three years ago as adult learners returning to tertiary education. Both had goals of increasing their skills and education, but not just for the bigger pay cheques – they both said they wanted to give back to their communities, starting with their families.

The irony is that both women were already contributing to their communities and acting as positive Māori role models. They come from hauora backgrounds and were working as healthcare providers. Hauora is a Māori philosophy of health and wellbeing unique to New Zealand. It deals with four aspects of the mind and body: physical, mental, social and spiritual.

Over the years, Mrs Tawera worked as a health promoter in Kawerau and an enrolled nurse in Whakatane. It was time for something more so she applied and was accepted on the Bachelor of Nursing (BN) at Waiariki. “It was a roller coaster ride from there on!” She was 49 years old at the time.

“I always wanted to do my nursing degree but then I got married and children came along. Anyone can make it happen if you set your mind to it. I stayed focused with my nursing goal to get registered.”

She is now employed in the emergency department at Rotorua Hospital and couldn’t be happier. “It’s a specialised area, and it’s just the second year they’re taking on students there. I felt so fortunate that was offered to me. I love it there, I really do.”

Mrs Tawera said her eight children, ages 14 to 34, were very supportive of their mum returning to school. “The two youngest said, ‘Go for it mum.’ They were at the age where they could look after themselves a little bit more while I studied.”

About being named top student, she said, “There was no inkling that that was going to happen. What I do is what I do naturally, anyway.”

The awards didn’t stop there for Mrs Tawera. She was also the winner of Te Kaunihera o Neehi Māori O Aotearoa - National Council of Māori Nurses exemplar competition for second and third year students.

“I was so rapt with the winning because I set my heart on trying my best,” said Mrs Tawera.

_ Tamar Courtney (left) and Veronica Tawera are excellent Maori role models in their communities.

Mrs Courtney also has a varied work history and is dedicated to helping others. “I did a care-giving course about 12 years ago for aged care in rest homes. That was the beginning of my looking after people,” she said.

She worked as a diversional therapist, providing activities for the elderly. About the same time she worked as a volunteer fire fighter for about four years. “I loved it, but was a mother of two, so it was not a possible career for me.” She decided to upskill to become a registered nurse.

As a mature student, and now a mother of four, Mrs Courtney saw the opportunity to use her experiences to help her classmates, so in her second and third year became the representative for Waiariki students on the Windemere campus.

“I’ve been in the work force and have had great employers and also terrible employers. I’ve seen staff being bullied. I like being able to help, being able to direct people where to get help. That’s always been a driving force to me.

“Being on the advisory board, you’re able to bring up concerns from other students, but you’re also able to watch the processes on how changes can be made to make things better.”

The 38-year-old is now working through her one-year new graduate programme in her hometown of Tauranga, starting with six months in a doctor’s office, then finishing at Pirirakau Hauora, a Māori health centre.

“It has special meaning because this is where my whanau is,” said Mrs Courtney. “To be able to give back to them, to support them is a main goal.”

Whanau groups at Waiariki help Ma-ori students succeed Veronica Tawera and Tamar Courtney credit their whanau group at Waiariki for contributing to their success while studying toward the three-year Bachelor of Nursing at Waiariki.

Whanau groups were created within Waiariki’s School of Nursing and Health Studies to provide additional support for Māori students. The groups share study tips, advice, anything that will make their journey easier and better supported in a comfortable environment.

“It’s really important to engage in that whanaungatanga practise,” said Denise Riini, lecturer.

Tamar Courtney Ngati Ranginui, Pirirakau

The whanau group provides another support network. It’s also for Māori, supporting the way we learn, and proving that working together and forming strong bonds is important.

It’s also important because you are working with the students who are a year or two ahead of you and you can see them striving. You think to

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yourself, ‘If they can do it, I can do it.’ It’s more real when it comes from a fellow student rather than the lecturers.

Veronica Tawera Te Whakatohea, Te-Whanau-a-Apanui, Te Arawa

For me, it was great because, being a minority, we were able to come into our own whanau room, sit down and chill out. Those who were maybe a bit shy felt more comfortable talking among the smaller group. We studied together, we tested each other, and just helped each other along every step of the way.

Mrs Tawera’s advice for Māori students:

Stay focused on your goal, seek help, ask for help if you need it.

Everyone at Waiariki wants you to succeed but at the same time you have to take responsibility for your own learning. I never had difficulty finding help when I needed it, and the tutors never left me up in the air not knowing what to do.

Erin Maguire was the 1,000th graduate of the Bachelor of Nursing at Waiariki.

Student Profile Erin Maguire Bachelor of Nursing Mokoia Campus, Rotorua Self-admitted thrill-seeker Erin Maguire is over the moon about passing her nursing state final exams and becoming a registered nurse (RN) because it means she can really get her teeth into her new job.

The 22-year-old completed her Bachelor of Nursing (BN) in November, passed her exams a couple weeks later, and was immediately scooped up by Waikato Hospital in Hamilton to work in the emergency department.

“I went into my degree wanting to do that,” she said.

“It’s pretty exciting. I love that you go to work and you don’t know what to expect, what’s going to come through the door first. You get a variety of people, you get your paediatrics, your geriatrics. You get an opportunity to use all of your skills.”

Originally from Rotorua, Ms Maguire returned to her hometown earlier this month to join her former classmates for Waiariki’s graduation ceremony. Year after year, the jade-hooded Bachelor of Nursing graduates far outnumber graduates from any other qualification at Waiariki. This year 126 nurses celebrated their success.

Ms Maguire’s former lecturers from Waiariki’s School of Nursing and Health Studies had extra reason to celebrate the event. Ms Maguire was the 1,000th Waiariki graduate of the BN. Waiariki’s nursing school is known across the country for its quality curriculum and personable teaching and support staff. Waiariki graduates are highly sought after by healthcare providers because they know they are getting well-educated employees.

“I did a bit of research,” Ms Maguire said. “Waiariki was ideal because I was from here, but more because their [students’ exam] results are always top state. I heard it was a good environment; it’s also smaller. At uni you don’t really get that one-on-one with the lecturers. I’m glad I did that instead of going to a university.”

Her advice for future nursing students? “Expect the unexpected. You only get out what you put in, so I guess go hard and make the most of it. It goes really fast when you’re out in the real world. Also take every opportunity possible and make the best of each of those. Be proactive and do as much as you can.

“You have to really be assertive in the practicum, you have to really know your scope of practice, know your limits and just be safe. It’s important to be safe – to protect yourself, your patients, everyone.”

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News Snippets

Learning foundation skills leads to immediate employment opportunities for youth A local company, two 17-year-olds, and Waiariki have come up with a red hot deal.

Red Stag Timber, a long-time supporter of Waiariki, opens its doors for field trips for Waiariki’s wood manufacturing students to see its sawmill, kiln drying process and treatment plant. This provides students with a real feel for the business and what it takes for this industry leader to be successful.

The café in N Block, Mokoia Campus, received a facelift and is under new management. DELIMARCHÉ offers fresh, affordable food, including breakfast, and drinks. Specialty coffees are also available for anyone needing a jump-start.

Te W¯ ananga a Ihenga M¯ aori Development, Humanities and Research was launched on February 2nd to a large group of supporters from throughout the community. The w¯ananga is an important and highly regarded development within Waiariki that will create and deliver courses and qualifications that meet iwi and community needs.

More than 1,200 students earned qualifications from Waiariki ranging from certificates to degrees at the end of 2009. Friday, February 5 saw hundreds of those graduands walk through downtown Rotorua to Waiariki’s graduation ceremony at the Energy Events Centre.

The _ Waiariki Community Recreation Centre - Te Pu tahi H¯ akinakina o Waiariki is due to open its doors on Mokoia Campus, Rotorua, in mid-February. Yearly memberships are available for staff, students and the public at very affordable rates, and a number of classes and sports programmes have been developed.

These tours also aim to increase awareness of career possibilities in the wood manufacturing sector, and develop respect for the industry and the wonderful renewable resource at our fingertips: trees. The potential annual earnings of $52,000 is just icing on the cake, said Waiariki lecturer Shane Bennett.

Waiariki began teaching the National Certificate in Wood Manufacturing Foundation Skills (Level 2) to secondary students in 2009. The tertiary qualification benefits Year 13s, explained Mr Bennett, because they receive a national certificate while in school, the training provides focus, the students experience achievement, and it increases their numeracy and literacy skills.

Melissa Bennett (no relation to Shane), human resources manager for Red Stag, said it was through Red Stag’s support that she saw some employment opportunities to bridge some gaps “because very soon technology will be a huge part of these jobs.

“What we’re looking to attract,” Ms Bennett said, “are young job seekers with a technical mind which you don’t often see in the older generation. It’s the Generation Y and Z stuff. We saw this as an opportunity to connect with them. They’re comfortable with technology and computers; it’s an ideal pool of candidates to select from.”

“We don’t normally employ people this young,” she said, “because they don’t have the experience. But they are coming in here with a higher level of education than others their age. We are an industry first-choice, with no shortage of job applicants, so this is a really good opportunity for these young men to get their foot in the door.

Red Stag Timber is a large, modern company with a vast investment in high technology equipment such as computer software, log scanners and sonic testers, to name a few. This

“In return, we’re getting employees who have a definite interest in this industry, who worked hard to get here and are now earning wages, and we see that as a benefit to the company as well.”

Research can be a part of everyday activities

Hairspray, Waiariki’s training salon in downtown Rotorua, is open for affordable cuts, colours, perms, up dos – nearly anything your tresses need! Make an appointment today: 07 347 6376.

While most people think research is difficult and only possible in expensive laboratories, the message from the winner of Waiariki’s Chief Executive Excellence in Research Award 2009 is that research is really about passion and should be fun!

Scholarships for tertiary study can assist you financially. Many may still be open for application and some are available specifically for Waiariki students.

Waiariki’s website is a great place to start for more information: www.waiariki.ac.nz.

Plan ahead: All Waiariki campuses and satellite locations will be closed on public holidays: April 2, 5 and 6 (Easter); June 7 (Queen’s Birthday).

The School of Business and Tourism welcomes three new employees to their team. Tracey Fitzgerald, formerly of the School of Nursing and Health Studies, is the new school administration manager. New business and tourism lecturer, Jack Keogh, hails from the Whiteria Institute of Technology and has recently moved back to his hometown of Tauranga. Nick Chater, owner of Multi-Day Adventures in Rotorua, is a returning adventure tourism lecturer.

Students of the Certificate in Welding and Fabrication are busy building a mini stock race car from the ground up. They’re working from a specific set of plans and to the New Zealand Speedway Control Board specifications to create a real winner. At the end of the project, the mini stock will be sold, hopefully recovering the cost of the materials.

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investment of tens of millions of dollars is where the company sees its future strategy and needs young, highly educated employees to maintain this investment.

As a result, two new staff members joined Red Stag’s roster in January. Russell Archer and Kaya Cashell are working full 10hour shifts at normal starting wages and will have rotational duties over the next two years, learning from the ground up what is done at the sawmill. At the end of the two-year trial period, Ms Bennett said, these young men will very likely be offered permanent positions.

Congratulations Sue Emms, Waiariki creative writing lecturer, who won first and third places in the Timaru Festival of Roses Poetry Awards, a national competition. No doubt these awards will grace the walls with her numerous other writing awards.

Important Waiariki dates: Semester 1, 2010 commences Monday, February 22. Term 1: February 22-April 2; Term 2: April 19-June 25.

Waiariki lecturer Shane Bennett (left) taught Kaya Cashell and Russell Archer, who then were employed by Melissa Bennett at Red Stag Timber.

He’d go even further to say that research can and should be included in everybody’s everyday activities.

Professor Cris Brack, PhD, chair of the School of Forestry, Wood Processing and Biotechnology, won the award not only because of the value his work brings to Waiariki, but because he walks the talk. He makes research a part of his everyday activities.

The obvious passion and enjoyment Dr Brack has encourages others at Waiariki to become more involved in research. John Kelly, head of the wood manufacturing department, said, “Just try talking to Cris for only one minute, it’s impossible. He draws you in and before you know it you’re thinking about how you, too, can change the world [through research].”

One example of research activities within the school that impacts student learning and on the international practice of forestry is the use of lasers for measurement.

Forest management students use the latest hand-held laser devices to take detailed measurements which can then be used to predict the products and/or the carbon stored in trees. Used in conjunction with lasers mounted in aircraft and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), detailed maps are developed to predict the amount of carbon and/or the products for specific patches of forests.

This research is helping ensure Waiariki graduates are used to the modern instruments available to them, while simultaneously supporting New Zealand, through the Ministry of Environment, to reliably estimate the carbon storage of its forests and their role in meeting our international obligations for climate change.

During 2009, this work by Dr Brack was presented to conferences in Australia and Japan organised by the International

Professor Cris Brack joined Waiariki in 2009 and he’s already scooping up awards.

Union of Forest Research Organisations (IUFRO), the lead body of international forest researchers.

Dr Brack said students and staff will continue to integrate these world-class measurement and monitoring systems in 2010 to further upskill our rohe and influence the international community through the IUFRO World Congress in Korea.

Other research activity around the school in 2010 includes: using simulators to more effectively train students in harvesting wood; generating and using energy from wood residues; making the working and teaching environment safer and healthier; and responding to uncertain climate and policy futures.

“We are learning to try new things in teaching, learning and application,” said Dr Brack, “testing to see if they did what we wanted, and telling others about our ideas – that is, we are all engaging in great research every day.”

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And the award goes to...

Avtar Singh Saini was thankful there were no acceptance speechquashing Hollywood stars invited to the Red Carpet Awards ’09 at Waiariki as he received his Student of the Year award.

Instead, the evening was loads of fun and went without a hitch when Waiariki students closed the year by celebrating their classmates’ contributions.

The inaugural event was hosted by Waiariki Institute of Technology Students’ Association (WITSA) and gave students a chance to recognise classmates for their support, team spirit, great personalities and even unusual differences.

Awardees each received a $250 gift voucher and a certificate of appreciation.

Mr Saini said he had enjoyed the event and was very proud his classmates chose him as Student of the Year. “It was all very nice and I went home and celebrated with my family afterwards,” he said.

WITSA president Raymond Howard said the event as a great success and said he hoped it would become an annual event.

Waiariki’s Student of the Year 2009, Avtar Singh Saini.

“I think it’s really exciting that WITSA was able to put this on for the students. It was about students looking after students, which is what WITSA is all about,” he said.

The other winners were Chanel Breen (Best Prop), Norah Vaa (Most Unusual/Extreme), Patricia Cafun (Mrs Personality), Manish Kumar (Most Valuable Player), and Hine Cooper (Best Coach).

Manaakitanga’s success leads to growth A unique student support initiative introduced last year on Mokoia Campus, has proven so successful and well-received, that this year it will be offered on additional Waiariki campuses and regions.

factors that may be working for and against their success, and help them explore potential options to alleviate the negative factors. The aim is empowerment rather than dependence.

Manaakitanga is a Māori concept which can be defined as “caring and support.” In 2009 the programme helped 203 domestic students access support to improve their study skills or deal with personal challenges in order to stay enrolled and complete their studies. This year, in addition to those in Rotorua, Waiariki domestic students in Tokoroa, Whakatane and Turangi, and nursing students on the Windermere campus will be able to access the free service.

If the kaitautoko are unable to deal with problems, or if they require further professional attention, the kaitautoko can guide the students toward a number of contacts around the region.

Five kaitautoko (Manaakitanga support staff ) are available to work one-on-one with students on any issues that may affect their ability to study, including time management, motivation, balancing home and school life, financial and personal issues. The students may seek one-off assistance or on-going support throughout the year.

Support for students in their initial weeks of studying will be a big priority for the team as they assist students in self-identifying

“We spent a lot of time establishing the programme last year.

This year we expect to reach a lot more students, especially as we expand into some of the regions,” said Leonie Nicholls, programme coordinator. “The first weeks of the semester are crucial for us to help create a welcoming environment for students.

“We are dedicated to supporting students on their journey to success,” she said. “The analogy our team uses is that we are like the air crew on a plane. Their role is to help ensure passengers have a comfortable flight and reach their destination successfully. They mingle with passengers and let them know that if there is anything they need they just have to ask; this is what we will do!”

Government gives opportunity for 40 students to study free of fees at Waiariki Waiariki is pleased to be able to provide places for up to 40 additional young people to study, thanks to the National Government’s Youth Guarantee initiative. Under the scheme, the government is paying the students’ normal tuition fees on selected qualifications.

The new scheme, promoted by former Minister of Education Anne Tolley, is available for people under the age of 18 who have completed Year 11 and who are looking for further educational challenge but for whom the school system is not as relevant as they require. The Youth Guarantee is aimed at providing 16- to 18year-olds the opportunity to transition into the vocational tertiary education system where the focus is on giving them skills for a job.

“Waiariki has long argued the need for the New Zealand education system to provide a better vocational pathway for our young talented people who feel trapped in a university focused secondary school environment,” said John Snook, Waiariki Deputy Chief Executive. “We see this first iteration of the Youth Guarantee as a positive, albeit tentative, first step from the Minister.”

The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) will fund 2,000 Youth Guarantee placements throughout the country, and has allocated the places among regions of high need based on the number of unemployed young people in the population. Waiariki was given half of the 80 allocated places for the wider Bay of Plenty.

While 40 spaces is a small amount, 40 more young people now have the opportunity to access quality education, with the possibility to improve their lives and the region’s ability to be more productive.

Vocational education and training improves both the productivity and the wealth of a nation and this is the

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reason why, during the recent international recession, every other developed country has increased their budget for this area. Unfortunately, New Zealand chose not to increase its educational budget as a response to the recession, however, Youth Guarantee does support some career-focussed education that would not have otherwise happened.

“We know at Waiariki that our region has a strong and growing need for youth vocational education and training, especially for young Māori,” Mr Snook said. “We also know from our interaction with industry and the community that we as a region have a significant level of under achievement in education and training, and that our workforce is one of the least educated in the country, and hence we are one of the least productive regions. Changing this remains an important focus for us here at Waiariki.”

Students interested in furthering their education through this scheme, but who might be concerned about their ability to study, are offered considerable learner support at Waiariki.

Programmes and services such as whanau groups, Manaakitanga and learner support tutors are just three ways in which Waiariki students are supported beyond the normal support you would expect. The Waiariki students’ association, whose job is to help make the educational environment both fun and supportive for all learners, is also located on Mokoia Campus.

Students who wish to apply for a Youth Guarantee placement are encouraged to do so as soon as possible as it’s likely the spaces will be filled quickly. Some conditions apply, and these can be found on Waiariki’s website or by phoning one of the campuses.

Staff Profile Len Jennings Head of Department Computing and Technology School of Computing, Technology and Communications Waiariki’s School of Computing, Technology and Communications welcomed new staff member, Professor Len Jennings, ScEd D (Doctorate of Science Education), in October.

Dr Jennings and his wife Filomena moved to Rotorua from Abu Dhabi where they worked for just over a year, he for the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) and she for an engineering consulting company. HCT is the largest tertiary institute in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with more than 44,000 graduates since 1988 to its credit.

“That was a great experience,” Dr Jennings said, “It’s such a different culture, it’s quite a vibrant city, up and coming, really the capital and where all the money and wealth is.”

It was the Jennings’ first time working in another country and they would have stayed longer but even the UAE’s second largest city (and one of the world’s largest producers of oil) was affected and jobs were lost. But, they brought back wonderful memories and much insight on assimilating to a foreign country.

“It’s an interesting experience being a foreigner yourself, getting established in living quarters. Even just getting your internet set up, you ring up and might talk to someone whose English might not be so good, that was a new challenge. Just finding your way around systems that are quite foreign to what you’re used to. I now have a better understanding of international students who come here and find themselves in a similar situation.”

Before the overseas stint, the Taranaki-born professor worked at Manukau Institute of Technology for 22 years, the last four as head of department for electrical and computer engineering.

He supervised 25 honours research projects, 75 Level 7 final year degree projects and taught digital signal processing, a Level 8 honours degree course in computer engineering.

In 2002 Dr Jennings won the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research from his alma mater, Curtin University of Technology (Australia), for his comparison of how students solve problems when using computer simulation versus a real life laboratory situation.

But he says his best accomplishment to date was applying for and receiving $1.5 million in 2007 to set up the Manukau Centre for Mechatronics in Manukau City.

Mechatronics, or engineering cybernetics, combines the disciplines of mechanical, electrical, electronic and computer engineering to create and control automation. More simply, it’s all about robotics: creating machines to automate things.

The centre provides a collaborative link between education and industry, where students can do industry-based projects.

“I think there an opportunity at Waiariki to do something like that, creating a centre of expertise related to computing,” Dr Jennings said.

For now, he is settling into Rotorua, his new role at Waiariki, busy networking with industry, and trying to find time to visit his two grandsons, ages 6 and 2. Len has a son and daughter, both living in Auckland.

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Starting out on the right foot

Waiariki National Centre of Excellence for Conservation, Energy and Environmental Sustainability opens its doors We’ve all heard of white collar workers and blue collar workers, but the buzz these days is all about the green. Yup, green collar workers are the new hue and Waiariki is poised to keep up with the chameleon-like changes.

The Waiariki National Centre of Excellence for Conservation, Energy and Environmental Sustainability opened its doors in late 2009. Its aim is to spearhead developments in conservation, energy and environmental sustainability across the Waiariki region, help develop new qualifications, and facilitate sustainability-embedded courses and qualifications.

Success = 90% perspiration + 10% inspiration Good learners are MADE, not BORN. Some people think that only ‘brainy’ people can succeed at tertiary study but brains are only one part of the success equation.

Sometimes the only difference between those who succeed and those who don’t can be that some understand the system of learning they are engaging in and others are guessing. What can be really useful is finding out early how to ‘play the game,’ learning the rules and expectations and getting yourself organised.

Don’t feel whakam¯a (shy) or ashamed if you don’t know exactly what you should be doing or how you should be doing something. After all, you wouldn’t expect to become an All Black overnight if you had never played rugby before. If in doubt, JUST ASK! There are plenty of staff at Waiariki who have tips and techniques to share, here are a few:

It seems that “yes,” the grass is always greener, and there is no better time than now to jump the fence and join the green trend. E-magazine states that, “Across every industry, new job possibilities are emerging for those with the skills to bridge the divide between the old, fossil-fuel-based economy and the new, energy-efficient one.”

As Waiariki is committed to teaching quality, relevant and up-todate qualifications, it is increasingly important for the institute’s new environmental centre to develop certificates, diplomas and degrees that can be translated into green careers for our graduates.

“The centre will be a culturally, uniquely New Zealand leader which delivers niche technical vocational education and training qualifications in conservation and sustainable energy, under the umbrella of applied environmental sustainability,” said Jeremy Christmas, Director, School of Forestry, Wood Processing and Biotechnology at Waiariki.

• Organise a place to study. The library might be an option if your home is not conducive to productive study. If so, make sure you know the hours you can access this. We are all different – some need complete silence to study while others like music – see what works best for you. Studying on the couch while watching TV is not recommended!

“Even the longest journey begins with a single step.”

CHINESE PROVERB

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News flash, Kermit, it is easy being green!

The “Outstanding Contribution and Support Award” went to Waiariki’s marketing team: Sue Gunn (manager), Kristin O’Driscoll, Lyn Maner, Alison Thomson, Aneta Puha and Neven Harland. The team was recognised for their holistic approach to the way they do business. Raising brand awareness, improving community relations, and helping to increase enrolments is just part of the marketing to-do list as they enthusiastically strive to put Waiariki’s best foot forward.

• Find out how to contact your lecturers and other support people and services outside the classroom.

• Learn to file and get into a habit of doing this regularly; it is amazing how quickly the papers can build up. Use a folder and dividers to organize sections so you can quickly locate things you need.

Graduates will be qualified to contribute to the application of new sustainable technologies, and they will become champions of sustainable energy and natural resource use in their future careers.

patient and a model of vibrancy,” and her overall tutor satisfaction rating averaged 98%.

• Plan your weekly schedule and if you’re an online student, treat your course as if it were one where you had to attend classes. Of course, flexibility is important, but if you don’t make your pre-planned learning slot, be sure to make it up at another time to stay on track.

• Know the assessment requirements: what is due, the due date, how much it is worth (e.g., 10%), and the pass rate requirements. It can be surprising how soon into a course you can be expected to complete an assessed assignment.

Further qualification development related to geothermal engineering, sustainable use of energy sources, transport and industry mechatronics and product design, is expected to form a comprehensive portfolio at Levels 4 through 7 within the next three years.

Rewarding excellence

• Gather as much information as possible about your course and the expectations of you. Have a good look at the topic headings and/or learning objectives to get an overview of the types of things which will be covered.

• As soon as possible, get the textbook/s you need and find out how to access material from the library.

The Diploma in Sustainable Energy (Level 5) is one such new qualification that will be available from Semester 1. Additional qualifications that are in the final development stages and aim to be ready for Semester 2 ( July) delivery are the Certificate in Land Resource Conservation and Sustainable Recreation (Level 4), Diploma in Sustainable Management of Golf and Outdoor Leisure Facilities (Level 5), and an environmental management major for the Bachelor of Applied Management.

The Chief Executive Award winners are announced during Waiariki’s annual Christmas lunch, a great way to celebrate the end of year.

Recipients were (front) Neven Harland, (middle) Aneta Puha, Sue Gunn, Lyn Maner, (back) Alison Thomson, Kristin O’Driscoll, John Snook, Shelly McGowan, Cris Brack, Ken Kennedy.

Each year, Waiariki recognises staff for the quality, innovation and excellence they contribute to the institute, through the presentation of five Chief Executive Awards.

The awards are presented at the end of each year at the staff Christmas luncheon. All five recipients are selected by Waiariki Chief Executive Dr Pim Borren, although three require staff to be nominated in the first instance.

Professor Cris Brack, PhD, chair of forestry, was the recipient of the “Excellence in Research Award.” Formerly a forester, a university lecturer, and a forest scientist, Dr Brack is a highly respected and sought-after researcher and presenter both nationally and internationally. His work has generated outside funding for Waiariki, has raised the institute’s research profile in the international arena, and has infected others within the institute who now have the ‘research bug.’

“Excellence in Teaching and Learning” was awarded to Shelly McGowan, computing lecturer. Ms McGowan is committed to helping her students not only pass, but to strive to improve their outcomes and grades. Two of her students called her “determined,

John Snook, Deputy Chief Executive, won the “Excellence in Management Award.” Mr Snook was credited with a long list of management successes including responsibility for Waiariki’s strategic planning and its three-year Investment Plan negotiated with the New Zealand government which has assisted in Waiariki’s remarkable growth in student numbers in recent years. As well, Mr Snook is responsible for all Waiariki academic programme developments and quality assurance processes, and he chairs the institution’s Academic Board, a role normally reserved for chief executives and vice chancellors.

“Outstanding Contribution to Waiariki Culture” was presented to Kaumatua, Ken Kennedy, who was commended for his dedication to and respect for all Waiariki students and staff.

Mr Kennedy’s mātauranga (knowledge), support of Waiariki’s biculturalism, and the caring and support he provides are highly valued by staff and students alike. He also represents Waiariki at many external functions across the rohe and is responsible for management of Tangatarua marae, the spiritual head of the campus in Rotorua.

Dr Borren explained that the awards are about recognising and encouraging excellence across the institution. “It is a small way that I can recognise staff members who are achievers and set standards for themselves which are beyond the norm. Of course, it is difficult to recognise all of our achievers in this way, but the awards provide a clear signal that excellence is worth striving for and that staff performance matters, irrespective of the role a staff member has within Waiariki.”

Each award recipient receives $5,000 toward any area of professional development or resource, with a focus on building Waiariki’s capability. Well done 2009 winners and a big thank you to all!

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Art graduates set the pace Lanette Nahu recently earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), a degree offered by Auckland’s prestigious Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design and she didn’t have to leave Rotorua to do it.

Ms Nahu was actually all set to put away her student’s books and notepads at the end of 2008 with her Diploma in Art and Design (Advanced) (Level 7) from Waiariki and get to work as an artist.

“I was already thinking it was the end,” she said of her Waiariki journey. However, she and her classmates were given some great news, something too tempting for Ms Nahu and two others to pass up.

Through a new partnership with Whitecliffe, Waiariki was going to begin offering the final year of the BFA in Rotorua in 2009. It didn’t take long for Ms Nahu to sign on.

Waiariki Kaumatua Ken Kennedy

“I wanted more. I just needed it. I wanted to be able to open up into different avenues and the bachelor’s gives you that, especially in art.”

Te Reo Maori

The screenprinter/potter/painter/photographer hasn’t regretted it for one minute. “I would recommend it to anybody if they asked, especially since Whitecliffe has such a good reputation. Waiariki asks ‘where are you going to take your art?’ They also get you to think globally, as well. It’s really, really rewarding, it really adds on to everything else you do at Waiariki.”

Twice during the year, Ms Nahu and her classmates Awhina Teka and Vicki Browne spent a week at Whitecliffe; the rest of the work was done in Rotorua with Whitecliffe staff regularly visiting Waiariki and keeping in touch with the students via email and phone calls. The year by went quickly and successfully, setting the pace for future BFA students.

“The staff were great, always in constant contact, reviewing our work. They came here every three weeks to help out with theory and writing, as well as our critiques. They wanted you to succeed as much as you did.”

Awhina Teka, Lanette Nahu and Vicki Browne completed the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Rotorua.

Ka nui nga mihi o te tau hou. He nui tonu ngā kaikōrero Māori e tino pai ana ki te whakamahinga me te titonga o ngā kupu hou, ēngari e ora tonu ai tēnei reo me matua whai tātau i te titonga me te whakawhānuitanga o te kupu. _ Hongehongeā noa au i te hunga ki mai e riro ana ko tātau kē kei te aki kia rere kē haere te reo ēngari ia kāore kē i te paku pērā nā te mea ko te āhua ake o te nuinga o te reo kei te mau tonu. Ko ngā kupu kē kei te rere kē haere.

Succeed she did. In fact, there are plans for even more study. “I’d like to do the Postgraduate Diploma in Museum Studies [at Massey University]. I think that’s something I could really sink my teeth into. I’m hoping for an internship at a museum, and I’d like to look at being a curator as well as an artist. And maybe do some adult teaching some day, and work on an MFA [Master of Fine Arts] the following year, possibly.”

Happy New Year to you all. Many speakers deplore the use and manufacture of new vocabulary but for language survival, development and extension are of the essence. It’s ongoing that people say we are forcing the Māori language to change but in fact, such is not the case, for the structure of the Māori language is essentially still intact. It is the vocabulary that is changing.

Learn English at Waiariki Three international students have reason to celebrate. Their English is now at the standard that they can start working toward becoming registered nurses in New Zealand.

A collective sigh of relief followed by laughter and ear-to-ear grins of Korean Myeong Sik Kim, and Jie Lin Ma and Wei Wei Cheng of China, were a delightful sight for Noeline Lewis, coordinator of the Certificate in English, at Waiariki.

“They’ve really had a rough road, with many ups and downs, but they’ve made it and they have been accepted into the Bachelor of Nursing,” she said. Ms Lewis worked with the students for nearly two years as they strived to prepare for their International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exams.

“They each found out their results individually, but they came in to class the next day not knowing what the others had earned.

They were a bit afraid to ask, not wanting either of their friends not to have passed. Now they all know and their smiles seem to be permanently stuck.”

When they arrive at Waiariki, international students are tested to determine their existing English language skills, then placed with other students at similar levels. Students can study English for as long as they need to reach their individual goals.

Jie Lin Ma, whose English name is “Gillian,” started at intermediate level in August 2008. Wei Wei Cheng, or “Joy,” began before her in March at pre-intermediate level. Myeong Sik Kim, aka “Mark,” joined Waiariki in March 2009 at the intermediate level.

When Gillian, Joy and Mark reached similar skill levels, they were grouped together to provide additional support for each other over the last few months leading up to the exams. They understood each other’s challenges, which was helpful when the finish line seemed so far away and other classmates had finished and left because their goals were not as high as what is required for prospective nurses in New Zealand.

“Many students come in and expect it to be easy,” said Ms Lewis.

“They quickly learn to respect what the brain has to do to learn a new language.

“The longer they’re here, the more ups and downs they generally experience. They’re losing focus, getting tired of the work,

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With excellent English language test results in hand, Wei Wei Cheng, Myeong Sik Kim, and Jie Lin Ma are now able to enrol on the Bachelor of Nursing at Waiariki.

but they want to reach their goals. They also deal with being homesick, bad weather, and other frustrations. Their emotional energy gets taken up dealing with those things, which makes it even more difficult for their brain to take in new information, such as a language, and process it.”

Mr Kim, 45, was a scientist in Korea before he and his wife Miyoung Lee moved to New Zealand at the end of 2002. He couldn’t speak any English and stayed home for a year before finding a job with a Korean company, but he was still speaking only in his native language with his Korean customers. His

wife, who studied English at Waiariki and recently finished the Certificate in Health Science (Nursing), encouraged him to enrol at the institute to learn English.

“Sometimes it was hard but I enjoyed it,” Mr Kim said. “I learned many things here. I learned English in middle school but never used it. I’m very happy to use it now.”

“It’s a real buzz,” Ms Lewis said. “I’m in awe, I’m humbled that they have done so well. I’m just so proud of them. They’re an inspiration to me, as well as to other students.”

A place to call home Most of Waiariki’s international students come to New Zealand on their own and need accommodation, especially in the central city areas near campus. If you’d be interested in hosting a foreign student (or two) for any length of time, please contact the International Centre at Waiariki to learn more.

Some students require housing for just a few weeks, while others would stay longer. Waiariki does its best to match students to hosts based on a number of factors, and a stipend is paid to help cover costs.

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Stepping Stones Working in partnership with secondary schools School Liaison Team:

Whakatane Campus (Eastern Bay of Plenty) Rosemary Johnson – 07 306 0005 rosemary.johnson@waiariki.ac.nz

Taupo Campus (includes Turangi, Taumarunui) Chris Dolman – 07 376 0030 chris.dolman@waiariki.ac.nz Tokoroa Campus (South Waikato) Maree Kendrick – 07 885 0200 maree.kendrick@waiariki.ac.nz

The school liaison team: Chris Dolman, Rosemary Johnson and Maree Kendrick.

Gifted kids visit Waiariki As most teachers will tell you, young students need variety, mental and physical challenges, and sometimes just plain fun added to their day.

That’s just what the 7- to 13-year-olds of the Mighty River Power Rotorua Gifted Kids programme got when they visited Waiariki in late November.

The visit was organised by Waiariki’s secondary school liaison to give the students a highly interactive day where they spent time doing different activities which they might undertake in real-life careers.

This year was the second that Sue Bufton, lead teacher, organised the campus visit for her students. “They really enjoyed it last year and Waiariki has been great to work with,” she said.

The students come from 17 primary schools in Rotorua and Reporoa but they attend the Gifted Kids Programme one day a week.

“We need to extend them because they are very bright students,” Ms Bufton said. “They’re very talented academically but they’re also creative thinkers, so we try to extend them in their gifted areas.”

The eager boys and girls arrived en masse, split into four groups, and spent the day with Waiariki lecturers, taking part in hands-on activities such as art, cookery and computing.

“They just have a ball,” Ms Bufton said.

“We’ve been studying patterns all year, so our

Georgia Northey (left) and Abbie Ramsdale concentrate on their edible icing creations.

Stanley Meyer receives encouragement from art lecturer Debbi Thyne.

Computing lecturer Narissa Bayler assists Samuel Iliev. Also pictured: Georgia Northey (background).

day has focused on creating patterns using different mediums.”

to use Adobe Flash to make animated films.

she really enjoyed the Flash class. “The flax weaving and block painting was really fun, too,” she said.

By the time three o’clock rolled around the students were juggling woven flax fish, edible icing creations and block paintings – all made under the tutelage of Waiariki lecturers.

“We used an animation technique in Flash called shape tweening, where you create a start point and an end point and the program creates a transition where it morphs the starting shape into the end shape.”

Narissa Bayler, web development and multimedia lecturer, taught the students how

Twelve-year-old Maddy Van Harselaar, who has her sights on a future in fashion, said

Mark Your Calendar Enrolment Day

This is a “one-stop shop” for completing your Waiariki enrolment for Semester 1 which commences Monday, February 22. Payment of enrolment fees will be available via EFTPOS. Date/Venue February 17, 10.00am-6.00pm O Block, Mokoia Campus, Rotorua

Friend Isobel Hammond, also 12, added, “We were all looking forward to the food tech, too.”

The day was given a resounding thumbs up and there are some gifted Waiariki students in the institute’s future.

If you’d like to learn more about Waiariki and the qualifications and services available to students, representatives from the institute will be at the following events which are FREE for all to attend.

Rotorua Careers Expo

A great event for all ages interested in researching career options and how best to get there.

Dates/Venue May 21 and 22 Energy Events Centre, Rotorua

Waiariki Info Days

Visit Waiariki for campus tours and talk to lecturers about courses and qualifications offered at Waiariki. All prospective students are welcome. Transport to and from area secondary schools will be provided each day for their students.

Dates/Venue May 26 and 27 O Block, Mokoia Campus, Rotorua

Win a half-hour therapy session at Lake Spa Retreat at Polynesian Spa* To enter the draw, simply find the answers to the following questions (Hint: they are all located in stories within this edition of Waiariki Today) then email them, along with your name and daytime contact number to: marketing@waiariki.ac.nz no later than 4.00pm on Wednesday, March 17, 2010. It’s that simple!

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waiariki today

1. Which school at Waiariki will offer the new Diploma in Therapeutic Massage and Spa? 2. Erin Maguire was the ___th Waiariki graduate of the Bachelor of Nursing?

3. What is balneotherapy?

*Conditions apply. Please note by entering this competition, you agree that Waiariki Institute of Technology may publish your name and photograph for publicity purposes, and you may be contacted for feedback on this publication in order to help Waiariki develop future issues of Waiariki Today.

w w w. w a i a r i k i . a c . n z

SUMMER 2009/2010: Busting out the Hard Yards

RED STAG MOUNTAIN BIKERS HARD AT WORK

(Clockwise from top left) Patrick Avery is wired up for VO2max testing; Coach John Lee; Patrick and Carl Jones relieve some stress; Katie O’Neill focuses on her time trial; Mountain biker Scott Green competed in Nelson’s New Year Tour de Femme and Tour de Vineyards races.

BRINGING HOME THE AWARDS

Five Waiariki athletes were finalists in the Bay of Plenty Sports Awards in late 2009, and two took home awards: • Cycling coach John Lee was awarded Coach of the Year • Slalom paddler Luuka Jones won Junior Sportswoman of the Year • The Red Stag cross country mountain bikers were awarded a Bay Trust Scholarship

ANSWERING THE CHALLENGE

Waiariki athletes brought home the Grinder Multi-sport Race trophy, beating the other tertiary teams at the competition. It was a fun but challenging, made-forWaiariki event: 11km run with paintball, 12km kayak, 15km mountain bike and 5km obstacle run.

WELCOME JESS NELSON, NEW SPORT AND EVENT COORDINATOR Jess joined Waiariki Academy of Sport in December and has hit the ground running. She is pictured here amid the construction of the Waiariki Community Recreation Centre where she is charged with driving operations and programmes for athletes and community members.

Jess has qualifications in sport and recreation, and event management, and is a New Zealand representative in triathlon and water polo. She likes great coffee, Italian food, and warm weather.

TEEING OFF THE WAIARIKI BOP JUNIOR GOLF SQUAD

Waiariki is supporting golf talent development in the Bay of Plenty for those not quite eligible for tertiary study, targeting the best young golfers in the region who are 8 to 12 years old.

2010 Squads: 60 athletes, 30 New Zealand representatives, Best of the Bay! 0800 924 274

waiariki today

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THE School of Nursing and Health Studies is excited to offer two NEW qualifications in Massage and Spa commencing February 22, 2010 •D iploma in Spa and Body Therapies (Level 5) 1 year full time (or part-time equivalent), Rotorua

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•D iploma in Therapeutic Massage and Spa (Level 6) 2 years full time (or part-time equivalent), Rotorua

For further information call the School of Nursing and Heath Studies on 0800 924 274.

Bachelor of Nursing Bachelor of Nursing for Registered Nurses

Taupo

_ Bachelor of Maori Development*

Bachelor of Tourism Management

WHAKATANE

Semester 1 starts February 22, so get in quickly! To receive a free copy of the 2010 Part-Time Study Options booklet, stop by any campus, phone Waiariki on 0800 924 274, or send your name and address to enquiries@waiariki.ac.nz.

You may also view the full booklet online at www.waiariki.ac.nz.

Bachelor of Commerce (Lincoln University)* Bachelor of Commerce (University of Canterbury)* Bachelor of Computing Systems (Unitec) Bachelor of Fine Arts (Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design) Bachelor of Management Studies (The University of Waikato) Bachelor of Teaching and Learning (Primary) (University of Canterbury)

See our website for details... *Conditions apply

Whakatane ONLINE

ONLINE

Some courses are even FREE!

Bachelor of Arts (University of Canterbury)*

Tokoroa

TOKOROA

Many of the courses can be studied online, making it convenient for you to study anywhere, any time.

Bachelor of Applied Social Science (Social Work)

TAUPO

Many courses are available at each of our four campuses in Rotorua, Taupo, Tokoroa and Whakatane, plus satellite locations in Kawerau and Turangi.

Bachelor of Applied Management ROTORUA

If you’re looking for part-time study options and a quick way to upskill or learn new skills in Semester 1, check out the Part-Time Study Options booklet which lists nearly 100 courses to study!

Waiariki offers 13 bachelor’s degrees or pathways to degrees!

Rotorua

Keep Working, Keep Learning!