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Te tāepaepatanga o te rangi.
The place where the sky hangs down to the horizon.
Rocket Lab launched an Electron rocket - the CAPSTONE mission - to the moon last week. Only five countries in the world have ever done this. The Rocket Lab team of “can-do” young Kiwis probably never dreamed of one day working for NASA and sending rockets from Mahia Peninsula to the moon, but they have now shown us that this - and more - is indeed possible.
It is opportune that this historic moment for Āotearoa New Zealand should occur so close to our first Matariki celebration when all eyes have been focused on the stars, on new beginnings, and looking to the future in harmony with our environment.
It has been a super uplifting week and contrasts starkly with the challenges of COVID, winter coughs, colds and flu and trying to find relievers for sick teachers.
Congratulations! You got through the dross and today, hopefully at 3:01pm you will have left the school grounds for a two week break.
Take a rest, but don’t lose the inspiration and energy from the CAPSTONE mission. Moments like these are huge and filled with positive vibes. I hope you can send the winter ills and issues packing and follow the fortunes of CAPSTONE for a while. It may prove a better tonic than you think.
MOOT – The Feedback
The NZPF “Moot” is about listening to regional voices. This year, over 100 regional leaders filled the seminar room with positive kōrero and discussion. They consistently said the most pressing issues facing education are:
- Allocating Learning Support resourcing that is consistent and equitable
- Providing counsellors for all schools
- Centrally funding support staff and
- Providing parity of staffing with secondary.
Other issues raised included principal leadership PLD, principal wellbeing, lack of equity for property, lack of availability of both teachers and relievers and the need to lift the level of overall funding in schools. Some of these issues will be addressed through collective bargaining. Others will link to current and future NZPF advocacy priorities.
To all the regional presidents, thank you for sharing your thinking, debating your views and giving the NZPF executive a steer on its future direction.
The ‘Tu Meke Tumuaki’ Week:
Congratulations NZEI for creating "Tu Meke Tumuaki" week – a celebration of the often unsung and unnoticed work that school leaders do for their staff, tamariki, colleagues and communities. It is a thoughtful and genuinely appreciated gesture for principals who don’t usually seek the spotlight. Nga mihi.
Relationships Matter:
Building and maintaining relationships is core to the school leader’s role. Our biggest challenge is how to build relationships with students who are not engaged in their learning. We know if we can beat that challenge, if teachers can build strong positive relationships with those students they will in turn build friendships with peers and school will become a great place to be.
The same arguments apply to parents. Sometimes families have underlying issues, outside of school, that impact on students’ attendance. If you are facing these issues, you might consider the MSD employed ‘community navigators’. They are trained to support such families.
NZPF strongly believes that school counsellors should also be available to all schools. Because there is a shortage of counsellors, we suggest that teachers, keen to focus on student counselling, should be released to train and be able to complete the practical components of their training in their school.
Behaviour and trauma-based practice solutions:
Another related concern is the escalation of behaviour issues. As the pandemic continues what were short-term, one-off disruptions to work and home life are now becoming on-going pressure points producing entrenched negative behaviour patterns.
Some schools have developed extremely successful practices to manage the levels of trauma they encounter. Next term, NZPF will gather and share examples of strategies school leaders have used to break this cycle for tamariki, for kaiako and whanau.
The ‘Curriculum Refresh’ Newsletter
In response to sector feedback, the MOE have established a new curriculum communication update newsletter for leaders, teachers and kaiako.
Te Poutāhū | Curriculum Centre Update | Issue 1 | Education Bulletins
Launching today, it will feature the latest curriculum news and information, along with dates for engagement opportunities. The MOE want the sector to feel better informed when it comes to curriculum supports and services on offer.
Issued every month by Te Poutāhū | Curriculum Centre, the newsletter will include updates from across the national curriculum change programmes, including the refresh of The New Zealand Curriculum, the redesign of Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and the NCEA change programme.
But - the term has ended ...
Holidays begin at 3.00 pm today. I hope you have planned some wellbeing activities that are 100% focused on you. You are taonga. Take care.
Wondering of the Week:
To what extent are the strategies you have in place to reengage all your students back in school working?
Poll is closed
Results of last Week's poll:
How many of you have begun to plan ‘time-out’ activities to refresh and recharge in the holiday break?
Ngā manaakitanga
Cherie Taylor-Patel
cherie.taylor-patel@nzpf.ac.nz
NZPF Conference - Christchurch
The overarching theme of this year’s conference is Aotearoa ki te whai ao! - Aotearoa and Beyond. We will be celebrating, sharing and learning from leaders, artists, pioneers, scholars and everyday people who have a connection to Aotearoa, have taken their talent to the world, and who push boundaries to achieve the very best for us and our country!
The conference will be held at the new Te Pae, Christchurch Convention and Exhibition Centre, on 14 - 16 September.
For further details and to register for the conference, please visit the website.
Nominations for NZPF Election 2022
Nominations are now open for NZPF President and Vice President for 2023.
Click here to download a nomination form.
Nominations close on 5 August and the electoral roll closes on 25 August. Your subscription payment must be received by this date in order to be eligible for voting.
NZ Principal Magazine also Online
You and/or your team members can easily access the NZ Principal Magazines online, as an e-magazine or as a PDF. Additionally you can search for a previous issue, an article by title or by the author of the article. All magazines back to Term 1 2012 are available in this format. To view or search click here.
Seminar: Screens in Schools: the state of play
How do we use digital devices effectively in the classroom, how do we manage risks, and what skills do school leavers need to work in the IT industry?
'Screens in schools: the state of play' will take place at 7.15pm on 3 August at Epsom Community Hall in Auckland.
The seminar is free and will be presented by four speakers from different industries, reviewing the current evidence for screen use in schools, looking at both benefits and risks. The following topics will be covered:
- The skills young people need to work in the IT industry
- Screen use is linked to dry eye disease, this is how to lower the risk
- The impacts of screen use on tamariki/rangatahi health and education, and how to get the best out of technology
This seminar is suitable for educators at every school level.
Spaces are limited, so please email info@sensiblescreenuse.org to register now!
National Excellence in Teaching Awards - Last Chance!
Shine a light on extraordinary teachers and principals
Nominations are open for the Futurity sponsored, National Excellence in Teaching Awards (NEiTA). Now in their 27th year, these awards recognise talented, caring and dedicated teachers and education leaders who display outstanding resilience and passion. Nominations can be made by anyone in the wider school community including parents, fellow educators, school councils and other community members here. Up to six educators will receive a professional development grant of $5,000, or $10,000 to further their career. The 2022 nominations close at 5pm, 17 July.
Download a nomination pack for your school here. Let’s acknowledge the hard work and dedication shown by teachers in Aotearoa. Nominate an educator today.
Overseas teacher recruitment update
The Ministry of Education has created a new website page for all things regarding overseas teacher recruitment at https://www.education.govt.nz/news/overseas-teacher-recruitment/.
Here you can find information on:
- The new three-step Accredited Employer Work Visa that schools, kura and early learning services must complete in order to hire a migrant.
- Financial support for overseas teacher recruitment with the reintroduction of the Overseas Finders Fee and Overseas Relocation Grant
The Ministry has also introduced a new ‘navigator’ role to support you through overseas teacher recruitment. If you or anyone in the sector has any queries about overseas teacher recruitment or require assistance, please contact the Ministry’s navigators via email teacher.supply@education.govt.nz or phone 0800 165 225, and we will do our best to help.
NZPF assures its business partners that, as members, you will contact them to have a conversation if you are purchasing products, services or solutions for your schools that a business partner supplies. Please support our partners as their assistance to NZPF means better membership services to you.
