Ko te reo Māori ko tātou te motu, ko tātou te motu ko te reo Māori.

Māori language is a part of who we are as a nation.

Ahakoa iti, ākona, kōrerotia I tēnei rā, i ia rā, i ia rā.

Learn a little, use a little, today and everyday.

Me whakanui me ako me whakamahi to tātou reo.

Let’s celebrate, learn and use our language.

Kia kaha te reo Māori.

I often hear stories of principals signing up for classes in te reo, and more recently I have heard of many principals joining waiting lists for community and institutionally delivered courses in te reo and Tikanga Māori.  This enthusiasm for biculturalism and for recognising and embracing a Māori world view, is inspiring.  It’s infectious and hopefully, will become viral!  In these days of COVID it shines a bright light on the future prosperity for our nation.

What an extraordinary term and year it has been! If you’re not bone-achingly weary, then you must be super-human. You’ve done an incredible job in the face of testing circumstances. Thank you.

The holidays are pending and you’ll be starting to think about what is in your holiday pile of books. As you begin preparations for some down time, I’m going to share my recommendations now, so you have time to gather these books together.  Oh, and they must be read in this order. Call it a prescription that strategically rebuilds your mojo!

First, something current and suited to the political season. Mary Trump’s book on Donald Trump, “Too Much and Never Enough” is a powerful exposé of the family that made Trump the man he is today. Mary Trump is a trained clinical psychologist and as Donald Trump’s only niece she brings a unique and personal view to the fore. This book will confirm the view that we are, indeed, living in dystopian times.

Then something inspirational. Women and Leadership: Real Lives and Real Lessons by Julia Gillard and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. This book explores ideas about women in leadership and tests these ideas against the experiences and achievements of inspirational and successful women. The book features Jacinda Ardern, Hillary Clinton, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Theresa May, Michelle Bachelet, Joyce Banda, Erna Solberg, Christine Lagarde and more. It is a great read and particularly good in considering how gender impacts on leadership. A relevant book for the age when most countries with successful COVID responses are led by women!

Two books into the holiday now so time to get serious.

Something that will shake you up particularly if you are pākehā  White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin Diangelo. This book is a no holds barred challenge to white privilege. It is a must read for everyone, but particularly pākehā leaders. Robin Diangelo skilfully deconstructs the contexts which inform white people’s experience of the world. To read this book is to see the world differently and ultimately to know that if pākehā leaders don’t recognise white privilege and challenge racism, then they are complicit in it.

And now two books that will take you somewhere beautiful.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy will leave you sobbing with the sheer pain of love and loss. This is the story of post-apocalyptic survival and a beautiful relationship between father and son. This book will reconnect you to your emotions that have been stretched out of shape by COVID.

And then, Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson, a searing love story and courtroom drama. It is tender, hopeful, and surprising. It will leave you dreaming of that person you have loved but lost. So affected will you be by this book, that you will wander the house in a daze for a day or two afterwards still holding onto the memory of knowing the characters so intimately.

Finally, some professional inspiration in Dare To Lead by Brené Brown. The premise of this New York Times bestseller is that you ‘can’t get to courage without rumbling with vulnerability’. This is the same Brené Brown of TED Talk fame. Her book will inspire and challenge. She is real and funny and self-effacing.

By the end of this short half-marathon you will be entertained, stimulated, provoked, refreshed and connected, once again, to your deep wells of passion and commitment, ready to fire up and finish the year with a flourish.

TAPEC Settlement
Late last week, I escalated principal concerns about TAPEC to the Secretary for Education who called a meeting of representatives from the Ministry of Education, NZSTA, NZEI and NZPF.

I was heartened that the Ministry of Education and NZSTA expressed their desire to resolve matters constructively and showed recognition of the difficult position principals have been placed in.

You will have noted the Ministry of Education’s advice published on Wednesday. The advice points you to NZSTA as a single source of trusted official advice.

Please keep me in touch with any further concerns particularly around the approval of exceptional translation funding. We are determined that no school will be penalised for their genuine engagement in this process and for using the information provided to them at the time.

Gather those books and prepare to have the holiday of your life.  I will be back next week with the final newsletter for the term.

Ngā manaakitanga

Perry Rush
perry@nzpf.ac.nz