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He kai kei aku ringa - There is food in my hands.
Tēnā koutou katoa e te whanau. Ngā mihi o te tau hou - Happy New Year
Whether you are returning to the same school or embarking on a new journey in a different school, I warmly welcome you to the 2024 school year. If you are a first-time principal, congratulations! May the start of your year be filled with positivity and optimism and remember, you are not alone! Your colleagues, Regional Associations, Peak Body Associations, Sector Partners and NZPF are all here to support you.
Look out for our NZPF Principal Matters Bulletin, arriving in your inbox fortnightly, starting Wednesday, February 7. You will find news and updates, and our executive will report on the significant work across our NZPF Ngā Pou e Whā - working groups. Our strategic plan focuses on advocating for members in leadership, curriculum, learning needs, and policy. Our six principles, developed by our Regional Presidents, will guide us in our work throughout the year, and ensure that our actions are moral, deliberate and measured.
Our mantra, "To listen, to learn, and to act," will help us navigate the challenges and opportunities of the coming year. We have two primary goals this year – to lift the status of principal leadership, making it a valued and attractive career choice, and to establish a career pathway to leadership that is fully supported including with professional learning and development, mentoring and coaching. We want to ensure that we have a roadmap to sustainable leadership. Other issues will come and go, and we will deal with them, but we will maintain our focus on leadership throughout.
We will be facing a shift in Government policy priorities over the next election cycle and some of you have already contacted us reporting that this will create more anxiety and disruption for your schools. I welcome your thoughts and I am using my connections and relationships in Wellington to express your concerns and seek a reasonable solution that will reduce disruption and not hinder the success of your school learning programmes. In mid January the NZPF Executive met to confirm our 2024 strategic plan and discuss current issues. Since then I have had a full diary of meetings to set in action our annual plans and attend to current matters. The Executive have also been focussed on actions associated with their portfolios. NZPF is here to advocate for and serve you. We have gotten off to a quick start. We will report on these in our first Principal Matters Bulletin next week.
I urge you to view challenges as opportunities and to be optimistic. I am confident that, with a shared commitment to listening, learning, and acting, we will overcome any ordeal we face. The whakataukī, He kai kei aku ringa, signifies resilience, empowerment and hope. It refers to one's ability to use the skills and resources they have to create success. It's about being responsible for the resources and capabilities one needs to grow and develop.
As professional leaders and curriculum experts, you will right now be working alongside your communities, iwi, hapū, and staff, setting out plans for 2024. We have one thing in common and that is to keep our ākonga at the centre of every discussion and every decision. With that focus, we can’t go far wrong.
I send my best wishes to you all as you lead your teams and I wish you a successful and fulfilling school year.
Our national office stands ready to address any queries you raise. Supporting you is our top priority.
Ngā mihi nui,
Leanne
Manukura
NZPF President
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