principals today #105

ISSN 1170-4071 Principal Administration Dept Board of Trustees Property Manager Outdoor Ed Dept TeachersHAVE THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE SEEN THIS?

Issue 105 Term 1 | 2015

LEADERS IN EDUCATION NEWS SINCE 1989 www.principalstoday.co.nz

CREATING OPTIONSHekia Parata outlines the role and responsibilities of Partnership Schools

DECISION TIMEHelping school leaders make solid choices

THE GREAT EDUCATION AGENDA Why NZ education has faced radical reform

Jump Rope For Heart marks 30 years of success

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GIVING KIWI KIDS A START

4 | Term 1, 2015 www.principalstoday.co.nz

WORKING SPACE

9 A CASE STUDY IN SUCCESS How to make the most of your outdoor area

24 TAILORED TO WEAR WELL Meeting school uniform requirements and exceed expectations

26 PLAYGROUND HIGH USE AREAS The soft fall product that’s a winner with children and doesn’t wear out or scatter

30 TESTING THE WATER Making sure you pool’s water comes up to the mark

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Principals Today Issue 105

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TOP 4

6 IN PARTNERSHIP Creating educational options Education Minister Hekia Parata on the role and responsibilities of Partnership Schools

16 GIVING KIWI KIDS A JUMP START Jump Rope For Heart marks 30 years of success.

Some 2.4 million Kiwi kids have hopped, skipped and jumped since the programme’s 1985 initiation

19 OUTSIDE OPPORTUNITIES Scratches and bruises from an analogue world.

In an increasingly digital world getting kids outside and unplugged is becoming even more challenging

32 IN THE CLASSROOM Ten tips for new teachers Starting strong and staying on track is easier than it might seem

NEWS

6 DECISION TIME PPTA president Angela Roberts on what really helps school leaders make sound appraisal decisions

7 THE CHILD AT THE HEART OF THE MATTER ERO chief executive Iona Holsted talks about ensuring children are really at the heart of what is done in education

7 THE GREAT EDUCATION AGENDA New Zealand Principals’ Federation president Denise Torrey on the radically reforming agenda for education

8 BUMP AND RUN How kids are getting hurt at school

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News | Viewpoints

Since I have been ERO’s chief executive/chief review o�cer I have had the opportunity to work with our people to rethink how we can ensure that children are really at the heart of what we do in education.

We’ve described ERO’s purpose as being that ‘our evaluative insights are a catalyst for change so that every child succeeds as a lifelong learner’. We are here to in�uence the system’s performance for children and young people.

Our research shows that the most e�ective schools are those that teach the kids in front of them. Leaders and teachers know what motivates their students, their interests, their needs and their aspirations. Information, knowledge and insight enable that connection between the learner and a rich and broad curriculum. The learner is front and centre.

More and more leadership teams, with the support of their teachers, parents and whānau are making changes so that they deeply understand what their students need and then con�gure the system around those needs.

The transition points within a child and young person’s education are crucial. It is at those points that often vital information is lost about children. It is not just transitions between early childhood, primary, intermediate and secondary school – it’s also those that occur within each of those institutions.

Points of transition are too often points of risk where they should be points of opportunity. Small but e�ective practices contribute to smooth transitions.

The child at the heart of the matter

What really helps school leaders make sound appraisal decisions?

By Iona Holsted, ERO chief executive and chief review o�cer

By Angela Roberts, PPTA president

Principals in New Zealand schools have autonomy that’s almost unparalleled. The downside of this is that they’re also often extremely isolated. Tomorrow’s Schools made each principal CEO of a crown entity, making decisions on things that school leaders in other jurisdictions would never have to consider.

While there are plenty of upsides to school autonomy, chiefly the capacity to be much more responsive to local needs, after two and a half decades the negatives are becoming more and more apparent.

In the last few years the government has made some changes which have recognised the problems of super-devolution to individual schools. The creation of the Crown owned Network for Learning recognised that each school purchasing its own crucial Internet connectivity on a patchy and inequitable market model wasn’t working.

The Facilities Management Pilot in 2014 gave schools that opted in the opportunity for central support to maintain their property – something which can take an inordinate amount of energy and resource from school leaders, which could be better directed elsewhere.

And then, of course, there is Investing in Educational Success, which sets up new structures for principals and schools to get out of their silos. Where this is so different from the 1980s approach of Tomorrow’s Schools is that it’s about people and networks, rather than legislating for a new world order.

While we are still to see how this works out in practice, and decent implementation of

new policy is a challenge for the Ministry of Education, the concept is one that I can see many principals, teachers and students could benefit from.

The contrast of Investing in Educational Success to the creation of EDUCANZ, the new professional body for teachers, is stark. Removing the capacity of teachers or principals to select any representatives on their professional body is high handed and antagonistic, and would not be taken lightly by any professional body.

For principals, the pressing concern about EDUCANZ should be the 10 percent “audit and moderation of appraisals” that the new body is required to carry out.

Appraisal is a significant process that most schools have put a lot of work into. Appraisal processes have become more developmental, high–trust and therefore worthwhile in recent years. The decision to recommend renewal of a practising certificate based on the Registered Teacher Criteria is only one part of the appraisal process.

And the question has to be asked; what will really help school leaders to make sound appraisal decisions? A tightened accountability regime? Or building professional capacity through PLD, mentoring, and allowing honest sharing of practice?

While schools have managed significant changes in the sector and dealt with the impact of the financial crisis on their students’ families, student achievement has improved and they are staying at school longer.

It should not be too much to expect the government to back the teachers and school leaders who have achieved this. The minister says she wants a high quality, high status teaching profession; here’s a crucial opportunity to demonstrate the strength of her commitment.

Our evaluations talk about schools with e�ective transition programmes having invested heavily in relationships with parents, caregivers, and wider family. This investment meant that they understood the learner’s wider context – where they came from and the knowledge they brought with them to school.

This requires open and ongoing communication between the teacher, child and family. It also requires the learner to be at the centre of any decisions or actions taken about their education.

At ERO, one of our strategic objectives is for the learner to be at the centre of a coherent system from 0 to 18 years. If we consistently put the learner at the centre, we will eventually design a system con�gured around each child’s learning pathway.

And the only way to know if we are making progress is to make sure we review what’s in place on a regular basis. We can only do better by our children and young people if we, boards, principals, teachers and the wider system, are in a continuous cycle of improvement.

We need to make sure we have robust self-review practices in place to check the e�ectiveness of what we do and how we do it, and to make changes if something isn’t working. Ongoing self review helps shine light on both what is working and what is not and it needs to include the voice and input of children and their families.

We are all here for the children and young people of New Zealand. They re�ect our diversity and bring to their learning equally as diverse contexts and levels of understanding. And our response should be learner-centred. As one principal said during an ERO evaluation, the question we should ask ourselves is “Is the school ready for the child – not – is the child ready for school?”

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www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 1, 2015 | 7

News | Viewpoints

It’s for this reason that, in 2011, the government agreed to support the ACT party’s proposal to establish Partnership Schools in New Zealand. They simply give parents another option when it comes to what school they can send their children to. During our previous term in government, we worked with Associate Education Minister John Banks, and now we’re working with Parliamentary Under-Secretary David Seymour.

His responsibilities include working with the Partnership Schools Authorisation Board. We meet regularly to discuss the performance of schools and are also looking at ways to strengthen the mode, and attract future sponsors.

Both David and I, like you, have an unrelenting and unapologetic focus on raising student achievement, especially for those who haven’t done well previously.

And it would seem, from students’ and parents’ comments, that these schools are making a di�erence to many of the children who attend Partnership Schools. Last year, �ve partnership schools got underway. This year they have been joined by another four. Now we have commissioned an evaluation of the model to make sure that it is delivering and will make changes if required.

In the meantime Partnership Schools are accountable to the government, just as state and state integrated schools are, albeit by a di�erent mechanism.

All Partnership School sponsors have to go through a rigorous application process to open a Partnership School. Sponsors have to demonstrate how they will use the �exibilities available to them to better meet the needs of their students, and meet their student achievement, student engagement and other targets.

While they may have greater academic freedom and �exibility to innovate and engage their students, Partnerships Schools also have stronger accountability for delivering educational results.

These can be enforced through the regulatory and contractual obligations the schools’ sponsors have to the Crown. We can terminate a sponsor’s contract

The role and responsibility of Partnership Schools

The great education agenda

By Hekia Parata, Minister of Education

By Denise Torrey, New Zealand Principals’ Federation president

for a variety of reasons, including failing to meet agreed objectives or performance standards.

Achievement and other performance expectations speci�ed in the contract are monitored through a combination of the Ministry of Education, Education Review O�ce and the Partnership Schools Authorisation Board. Partnership Schools are also required to report publicly on the progress of their schools.

All of the current Partnership Schools use the New Zealand Curriculum, NCEA, National Standards and other recognised measures.

Partnership Schools are funded at an equivalent level to comparable state schools. They receive funding for the same things as state schools do. The main di�erence is that Partnership Schools have greater �exibility about how they use their funding.

All new schools, including Partnership Schools, receive funding for certain �xed costs, regardless of student numbers. It may seem as if Partnership Schools are funded at a higher level, whereas in fact they are not. It is usual for schools to have high per-student costs when they �rst open.

As their name implies, there is also an expectation that Partnership Schools will provide new opportunities for the education, community and business sectors to work together.

Partnership Schools weren’t established to replace other schools. They are there to complement what is already on o�er, and to make sure that kids who aren’t succeeding have the opportunity to do so.

Consequently Partnership Schools aren’t for everyone, and nor are they intended to be, but all parents and kids should have the opportunity to choose what works for their family; just as they may choose to send their children to a Kura, faith-based school, single-sex school or private school, or choose to educate at home.

Regardless of where and how our kids receive their education, we are committed to raising achievement for all of our children and young people, rather than the four out of �ve who are achieving now. As a result we can’t simply keep doing what we have always done. We owe it to students and their families to mix things up and try something new.

We would be derelict in our duty if we didn’t.

All kids deserve a chance to succeed at school. For some kids to do well we know that sometimes a different approach is needed.

The 2014 Readers Digest table of ‘New Zealand’s Most Trusted Professions’ ranked the teaching profession in 11th place. Until the last few years the profession had always enjoyed a top three ranking. It’s not dif�cult to work out why. Parents throughout the nation entrust the teaching profession with the safety, care and welfare of their children, during which time they take responsibility for teaching them the skills, strategies and values they will need to succeed in their future. It’s a colossal undertaking for which parents hold teachers in high regard. So what has changed? Why the drastic shift in the community’s perception of the teaching profession?

Teachers and school principals have not suddenly become less trustworthy, less caring or less passionate about children’s learning or children’s welfare.

The slide in rankings can only be attributed to external agencies in�uencing the way in which teachers are perceived by the public. One agency that has the motivation to ‘demonise’ the profession and the power to in�uence the public is the current Government.

The motivation comes from a desire to implement an agenda for education that involves radical reform. These reforms emanate from the Global Education Reform Movement (GERM). So radical are these reforms that the voting public would never �nd them palatable, unless education was perceived to be in crisis.

And so a crisis was manufactured.

The Government claimed that one in �ve children in New Zealand were failing and for Māori and Paci�c Island children the percentages were even higher. This announcement came in 2008 at a time when OECD reports ranked New Zealand children’s academic achievement amongst the top �ve countries in the world.

The manufactured crisis gained su�cient traction to allow the �rst stage of the reforms to be introduced. National standards for literacy and numeracy, intended to be the foundation performance measure for teachers and schools, were embedded in legislation as the Minister trumpeted gleefully that at last we had a mechanism for raising

student achievement and making sure teachers would be accountable. The profession, knowing national standards and new accountabilities would do nothing to help learners, greeted the announcement with a level of jubilation be�tting a Dickensian funeral procession.

The sales job to the public had been a triumph of marketing genius and the public bought it. Of course all parents want ‘standards’ and no one wants to see one in �ve children failing.

The crisis had done its job. Now it was just a matter of time before all the other reforms could be wheeled out. Each one would lead to more and more erosion of what had once been a high quality public education system. The profession was sidelined from any involvement in the development of education policy and could only express concerns and disappointment as each new step was announced. No wonder the public grew to think the teaching professionals had become negative, whinging naysayers.

What the public could not see was the ‘big picture’. The whole package was never going to improve learning outcomes for children, but it was going to achieve the Government’s agenda to shift the focus for education away from the public sphere and further toward privatisation.

After seven years, with the agenda almost complete, it is not surprising that teachers who have seen these reforms fail children in the USA, the UK and Australia, have railed against them here. The consequence of that protesting is that they are now perceived publicly as a bunch of complainers, rather than the caring passionate and trusted profession of the pre-GERM days.

That said, I am optimistic about the future. Despite the current agenda teachers and principals are carrying on doing what they know is best for kids. They are developing and up-skilling their teachers using innovative ideas and empowerment strategies. They are continuing to use the full curriculum to give children experiences, knowledge and skills.

They know that entrepreneurship, creativity, problem solving and an appreciation of collaboration will be critical for success in our children’s working lives and they are giving children every chance to develop these attributes.

In due course, as the sun sets on this unfortunate era of education reform, the public’s perception of the teaching profession will rise again.


News | Injuries in schools

ACC statistics show more than 76,000 pupils and 5,000 sta� members were injured on primary, secondary and special-school education grounds in 2013.

The number of pupil injuries increased in 2014 with almost 80,000 reported incidents, while the number of teacher injuries remained the same.

The injuries amounted to more than $28 million in 2013 and more than $30 million last year in active ACC claims for treatments and entitlements.

The top causes of pupil injury in both years included being struck by an animal and having a collision with an object. The incident which caused the largest number of accident claims in students was loss of balance or personal control attributing to more than 52,000 injury reports, followed by being knocked over by an object at 19,000 and being struck by a person or animal at 17,000. Tripping, stumbling and twisting movements were also notable injury causes.

Bump and run - how kids are getting hurt at schoolBy Laura Baker

Tens of thousands of children and teachers injured themselves on school grounds across the country in 2013 and 2014 costing the country millions.

Teachers �led ACC claims chie�y due to lifting, carrying and strain injuries accounting for 2,300 incidents. Sta� members were also injured through loss of balance, slipping and twisting movements.

As a result of student accidents ankles, hands, knees and faces were all commonly injured. But the body part that was hurt most frequently was �ngers and thumbs with more than 17,000 reported injuries.

Teachers su�ered the most injuries to the lower back and spine topping the list at 1,800 incidents. Also included on the list of most frequently injured body parts in teachers were shoulders, knees, ankles and �ngers.

The teaching resource The Start Safe; Stay Safe Co-ordinator’s Guide contains information, resources, a CD-ROM, activities and assessment tasks and is free to schools.The guide is for use by Gateway Co-ordinators with their Gateway students, and for teachers in other subject areas where students complete ‘NZQA Unit Standard 497 Version 7: Demonstrate knowledge of workplace health and safety’.The resource is a �exible toolkit so that Gateway Co-ordinators and teachers can meet the speci�c needs of their students.

Start Safe; Stay Safe

Key ‘Start Safe; Stay Safe’ topics• What are the consequences of getting injured at work?

• What are the facts about health and safety?

• What is the law?

• Dealing with hazards

• Looking after yourself at work (with a focus on impairment from alcohol, drugs, fatigue and noise induced hearing loss)

• What should I do to Start Safe; Stay Safe?

• Health and safety management

• Key de�nitions

• Supporting your students

• Links, references and contacts

• Assessment for Unit Standard 497.

To obtain your free copy of the resource, please email [email protected].

Start Safe; Stay Safe is a hardcopy teaching resource designed to provide high school students with skills and knowledge about workplace health and safety.


News | Injuries in schools

Beyond a band-aid

For many people, opening up the �rst aid kit in an emergency can be as daunting as being faced with the injury at hand, which can lead to confusion, wasted time and the unnecessary discarding of products.

Items such as non-adherent dressings o�er little to no insight into their purpose on the packaging and tend to get opened while in search of a dressing product. However, when the

Registered nurse Jo Maxwell of Maxwell Health talks about the importance of knowing and understanding your school’s �rst aid kit.

user discovers there is no plaster or sticky, component attached to hold it together, they tend to get thrown to one side. Meaning wasted product, time and ultimately money.

Hence it is essential users are familiar and comfortable with what is found within the �rst aid kit, and more importantly that what is there is appropriate to the school or business in question.

At Maxwell Health we do not believe in putting items in �rst aid kits for the sake of it. Each item within the kit must have a purpose and reason for being there. While you want to ensure your kit complies with Department of Labour (DoL) Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) regulations, it is essential the products included are practical and suited to your unique needs; which in a

school, is ensuring the kits have been tailored to aid and assist in the many injuries that arise from falls and tumbles.

When it comes to the management of �rst aid kits it is all about putting a simple and regular re-stocking programme in place. Just like checking the batteries in our smoke detectors, �rst aid kits should be checked when we put the clocks forward and back.

The awareness of �rst aid is just as essential for those in the school community as it is in the school business, and the running of �rst aid kit fundraising campaigns is a great way to increase awareness, while having the added bene�t of raising funds for new technology or facilities.

First aid isn’t just about having a �rst aid kit. It is about ensuring you have

the knowledge to utilise the items you have, ensuring your sta� and pupils are in safe hands when an injury occurs.

Specialists in health recruitment and workplace health, Maxwell Health is able to assist you with �rst aid kit fundraising and the provision of �rst aid kits crafted with the school environment in mind.

Call 0800 376 600, or visit: www.maxwellhealth.co.nz

Director of Maxwell Health, Jo Maxwell

BE PREPAREDPhone or email us now!

A burn? A gushing wound? You rush to the first aid kit−your worst nightmare−it has nothing to help your current situation?

Maxwell Health can help you:

ARE YOU PREPARED? AT WORK? AT HOME?

• First Aid Kits for work, home and vehicles• Practical extras available to make your kit exceptional• All our kits exceed OSH requirements• We provide a restocking service

[email protected] 0800 376 600www.maxwellhealth.co.nz

For a lot of principals around NZ, Sheila Parker of The Wholesale Matting Company Limited is their problem solver when it comes to matting issues.

Sheila told Principals Today “I was in Hawke’s Bay recently and when I walked into a principal’s o�ce, she sat me down and said ‘glad you’re here – can you solve these issues for me’ as she pushed a list across the table.

“I think over the last three years I have come to be known as the person that either the caretaker, BOT members or principals know they can give a problem to solve and it’s not about me selling them the most expensive solution – it’s about giving them options that suit their needs.”

In fact, many of Sheila’s customers have saved her mobile details as their “go-to person” for all things matting.

“I am so lucky with The Wholesale Matting Company celebrating 30 years in business this year. Spencer Hart, the founder and Director, has built strong relationships with our suppliers so we have a great range of

Decord and Widetrack are premium-grade 100% polypropylene ribbed carpets designed to provide �rm grip even in slippery and wet conditions. Waterproof and highly UV resistant, they will stand up to the most punishing of outdoor conditions including wind, rain and sun, year after year.

Here’s how to prevent accidents on your ramps, decks, stairs and cloakrooms on rainy days.

Ramps, Decks and Stairs Cloakrooms

www.mats.co.nz Call us 0800 60 70 80

products for every conceivable need schools may require. We place great emphasis on providing practical and economical solutions while building friendly win-win relationships.”

Sheila says that “with the changes in Health & Safety legislation that are coming into e�ect this year, schools are choosing to use our company’s expertise to get ship shape and safe. For instance, now is the best time of the year to take action and address those outdoor areas that get wet and slippery during the winter months ahead.

Decord and Widetrack carpets are easier to lay when the timber is dry so autumn is the right time to have the carpet laid. “The best advice I can give principals is to not make the mistake of waiting until an accident happens.” The outdoor carpets not only prevent accidents but also splinters. They really smarten up tired-looking and dangerous areas and are a long term solution that represent excellent value for money.

Brian Hesford from Arataki School Mt Maunganui tells Sheila “We had the Decord laid as the children were getting splinters. We have not had any issues since”


Working Space | Arts

The competition is again being supported by Creative Waikato and sponsored by Paterson Burn Optometrists and is being expanded to Auckland to allow the company’s Newmarket Optik practice to be included. This is the third year the competition has been held.

The competition o�ers prize money and an opportunity for secondary school art students to get recognition and publicity for their work.

Two thousand dollars in cash prizes are being o�ered as part of the 2015 Excellence in Art Competition. Prize money is split between winning artists and their schools.

Last year there were 67 entries from year 12 and 13 art students in Waikato / Coromandel areas with a similar number of entries in the �rst year of the competition.

Excellence in Art Competition expands A secondary school art competition which has previously been held in the Waikato / Coromandel has expanded this year to include the area around Newmarket in Auckland.

The theme for this year’s event is “Through the looking glass”.

Students will again have the opportunity to sell their artworks in an online auction. They will receive 80 percent of the proceeds with 20 per cent being donated to Diabetes Waikato.

All artworks will be displayed at Paterson Burn practices before being exhibited at Creative Waikato’s gallery in April. Entries will be accepted for the competition from Monday, February 9, with a close-o� date of Friday, March 20. Entry forms and additional information about the Excellence in Art Competition is available on the Paterson Burn website: www.patersonburn.co.nz

The winners of the Excellence in Art Competition will be announced at the awards presentation evening on Thursday, April 23.

Senior Paterson Burn Optometrists partner, Adrian Paterson says it is tremendous to see the art competition returning again and to see it expanding to the suburbs around Newmarket.

“We’ve been very pleased with the way the competition has taken hold over the last two years and with the opportunity that it provides for art students to get exposure for their work.

“Obviously with the inclusion of secondary schools in and around the Newmarket area there is a great chance to make the competition even more successful,” he says.

The 2015 Book Awards for Children and Young AdultsA new charitable trust has been formed to govern the prestigious New Zealand Book Awards and the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. Major changes to the timing and to refresh the format of the awards are also underway. Announcing the formation of the New Zealand Book Awards Trust, chairperson Nicola Legat said the new legal structure would, among other things, allow more �exibility to apply for grants and patronage.

The timing of the awards will change. The 2015 Book Awards for Children and

Young Adults will be held in August. This will make way for the New Zealand Book Awards to be held in Auckland as part of the Auckland Writers Festival in May 2016.

The trust board sees the partnership with the Auckland Writers Festival as a great opportunity for New Zealand writers – putting them where there is a huge audience of committed readers.

For its part, “The Auckland Writers Festival is thrilled that the Book Awards Trust wishes to bring these prestigious awards into the festival programme,” says the festival’s director Anne O’Brien.

Submissions for the 2015 Book Awards for Children and Young Adults opened last November for books published between January 2014 and March 31, 2015.

CALL US on (09) 571 0551or 0800 4 EDWARDS

[email protected]

www.edwardsnz.co.nzEdwards Sound Systems Ltd • 68 Walls Road, Penrose, Auckland

SOUND / LIGHTING / AUDIO-VISUALEDWARDSESTABLISHED 1965

Portable PA Audio Systems Expandable, easy to use, ideal for speech and music.

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• High quality sound • Wireless microphone options• Loud and clear - covers hundreds of people in large areas• Expandable with wireless or cabled extension speakers• “Voice Priority” automatically mutes music when microphone used.

Intercom, Paging, Announcements over IPEasy installation - uses your network instead of installing wiring.

Intercom, Paging, Announcements and Emergency Communication school wide and connects to indoor and outdoor speakers.

• Make announcements to individual rooms or groups of rooms• Wired over existing LAN• Easy school-wide connection and audio coverage• Suitable for internal school radio station • Quick to install and setup.

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Play scheduled announcements, bells and tones, music, recordings. Make announcements from

anywhere on the LAN.

Speakers and other audio interfaces connect to the LAN.

This is new technology that uses your LAN for the wiring and saves you money and us many hundreds of metres and hours installing speaker cable.


News | Top teachers

The recipients of the 2014 awards which are now in their 18th year, are: Christine Alford from Mairtown Kindergarten (Whangarei), Glynis Knox from Frankton Primary School (Hamilton), Ian Torrie from St Cuthbert’s College (Epsom, Auckland), Elena Warnock from Russell St School (Palmerston North) and Tina Youngman from Paeroa College (Waikato).

They were successful from more than 600 nominations from pre-school, primary, intermediate and secondary school teachers all over New Zealand.

A further �ve educators were presented with Cognition Education National Excellence in Leadership Awards.

The 2014 leadership award winners are: Terry Consedine from Aquinas College (Tauranga), Brent Gri�n from Western

New Zealand’s top teachers Five of the country’s top educators have been honoured with ASG National Excellence in Teaching Awards.

Edible Blooms giveaway

Heights Primary School (Rotorua), Kelly-Anne Lambert from Miracles Childcare and Learning Centre (Henderson, Auckland), Martin O’Grady from Karamu High School (Hastings) and Elizabeth Weir from Springston Primary School (Canterbury).

From the 600 nominations, regional recipients are selected who then give a �ve minute oral presentation to the judging panel and submit a paper on a topic of their interest to be considered for a national award in the Excellence in Teaching and Leadership categories.

Applications for the 2015 ASG National Excellence in Teaching Awards and the Cognition Education National Excellence in Leadership Awards open in April. Go to www.asg.co.nz for more information on entering the awards.

Elly’s paper that was submitted for the award is titled ‘A Move Toward Self Agency’. It was comprehensive,

thoroughly researched and highly relevant in content.

It is clear from the many positive comments written by the school principal, David Reardon that Elly is a passionate, talented and deeply committed teacher and one that practises the key principles of agentic learning. In the simplest of terms, this means helping students to develop an enquiring mind and to seek out what they need to know.

With Elly’s guidance, children show that they have a clear understanding and ownership of their learning and the next steps they need to take. Elly has an appreciative outlook, looking to build on students’ skills and interest and is widely respected because of it.

Liz motivates, inspires, models and encourages sta� to be the best that they can be. Liz has a vision of using

team teaching and incorporating modern learning environments into the school. She is an inspiring leader who is totally committed to her school and its community.

A wider group of the Canterbury community will now bene�t from Liz’s leadership skills as the newly appointed manager of Rāwhiti School (Brighton Merged School). Liz’s paper that was submitted for the award is titled ‘ML in an MLE: Managing and Leading in a Modern Learning Environment’.

Liz hopes, to use the $2,500 prize money towards studying future focussed education at university and attending the 2015 Council of Education Facility Planners International Conference in Canberra, Australia

Brent has carefully researched best teaching practices internationally and introduced new cultural and learning values into the school which have delivered signi�cant results for the children. Brent’s leadership in introducing ‘The Whakaahu Way’ has transformed the school from managing behaviour to managing learning.

He models what he expects of all his sta� and students: planning ahead, thinking ‘win-win’, listening to others, valuing sta� strengths, prioritising important tasks and acting responsibly. Brent consistently makes connections with sta�, students and the community and shows in all he says and does that he genuinely cares. Brent’s paper that was submitted for the award is titled ‘Good to Great Schools’.

Brent hopes to use the grant towards a global study tour, visiting the Hackney Learning Trust in England, the A.B. Combs Magnet Elementary School in Raleigh, USA and Rosyth School in Singapore.

Elly Warnock Liz Weir Brent Gri�en

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C ol laborate • Innovate • Educate

SKYCITY Convention Centre Auckland, New Zealand

The annual educators’ conference providing you with professional development in modern learning practice, in a face-to-face environment

6 - 9 October 2015

ULearn Permission to Play

6 October (Pre-conference)

$250*

ULearn 15

7-9 October (Full conference)

$745*

Research Strand only

8 October ($115 for PhD student)

$230

Gala Dinner

8 October $92

Registrations are now open. If you register before 31 March 2015, you’ll go in the draw to win the cost of the conference back.

Save $50, pay $945 to attend both conferences

T ā t a i A h o R a uE D U C A T I O N www.core-ed.org/ulearn2015 | @ULearnNZ | #ulearn15

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Working Space | Sun safety

What was the purpose of this job?This primary/intermediate school, built in the 1970s, had 2.5 hectares of grounds but insu�cient sheltered spaces for pupils. Their brief to us included; creating extra space outdoors that is sheltered from the elements so that pupils can eat outside, also to create an ‘outdoor classroom’ and provide shelter from the rain when walking from the classrooms to the o�ce, and to make the adjoining classrooms cooler in summer.

Overall they needed to generate more usable space outside in a cost- e�ective manner.

What was unique or complex about the project?Mostly our canopies are square or rectangular, but as can be seen from the photos, this school had an angled back wall and gutterline. The length of the canopy was not an issue, but at the half way point, the canopy had a bend in it, which meant our fabric panels had to be designed to taper inwards,

A case study in successFresco Shades can help you to make the most of your outdoor area, whatever the time of year. Here is a case study displaying of the company’s ability to meet any criteria: a project for the SDA Hamilton School awning.

and special brackets and connectors designed to �t.

Were there any additional challenges involved?Our sales rep had to organise for the entire school board to visit another school project installed by us in Auckland, and convince this rather intimidating audience that our product would meet their needs.

Initially they were convinced that polycarbonate was their best option. Once their Ferrari PVC canopy was installed, the board were thrilled with the result and this group of private schools have now become one of our largest customers.

Materials used and supplier Ferrari 702s from Wiggins NZ

Fresco Shades41-53 View Road Glen�eld, AucklandT (09) 443 3414T 0800 FRESCOE [email protected]

Expressions of interest to make application for a grant from the O-I New Zealand Environmental Fund are invited. Up to $25,000 will be available in total for suitable environmental projects. For application forms and guidelines see our website www.recycleglass.co.nz or contact:

O-I New Zealand Environmental Fund:PO Box 12345 Penrose, Auckland 1642Phone. 09 976 7127 Fax. 09 976 7119

Deadline for expressionof interest is 31 March 2015

ATTENTIONTEACHERSO-I New Zealand Environmental Fund

16 | Term 1, 2015 www.principalstoday.co.nz16 | Term 1, 2015 www.principalstoday.co.nz

News | Cover Story

Giving Kiwi kids a jump start

Thirty years ago, the Heart Foundation launched an exciting free programme called Jump Rope For Heart – Taura Peke mo te Manawa Ora. Their vision was twofold: to encourage physical activity in education settings and raise funds to support their vital work. This important charity works to stop people dying prematurely of heart disease – New Zealand’s biggest single killer. The Heart Foundation is committed to promoting heart health by funding world-leading research, promoting healthy lifestyles and advancing cardiac care. Jump Rope For Heart is just one of its many successful programmes. More than 2.4 million Kiwi kids have hopped, skipped and jumped with Jump Rope For Heart since the programme was launched in 1985. And the organisation wants your students to join that growing number and experience the thrill of taking part in a Skip-a-thon.

To celebrate turning 30 years old, the Heart Foundation is thrilled to be o�ering a 50 percent rebate of total funds raised to all schools which sign up to Jump Rope in 2015. That means you can opt for a rebate of half of the money your school raises. Of course, you’ll be supporting the Heart

Foundation’s life saving work at the same time.

Aiming to stay �tThe programme’s success is thanks to schools like St Joseph’s Primary and Intermediate in Oamaru, which holds a Skip-a-thon every two years. The 236 pupil school �rst joined the Jump Rope initiative in 1987 and has been holding a Skip-a-thon every two years since.

Tina Souness and Jan Plieger, two sta� members, told us what inspires the school to get behind Jump Rope For Heart.

Tina, the school’s sports co-ordinator, says the main reason the school supports Jump Rope For Heart is to “keep the kids �t”. All the children, from new entrants upwards, love the challenge and throw themselves into it with enthusiasm.

“Kids are not as active today as they were years ago and we all knew how to skip [then], but some children now don’t know basic skipping and, if they do, can only manage a few simple skips.”

Jan also says she’s noticed a lower level of �tness among children these days. “When I was a child, everyone walked or biked to school and spent their spare time playing actively,” she says. “Nowadays children have many more choices for leisure and these do not always include active play.”

Jan says the manuals are an excellent resource and very easy to follow. “For a busy classroom teacher, the

progressions are all laid out and are sequential, building on skills that the children have gained in previous years. Children enjoy the Skip-a-thon at the end of the programme and this can be tailored to �t into a morning, afternoon or longer.”

Jan describes skipping as a health-building exercise. “Jump Rope For Heart is still very relevant in today’s society and can be very bene�cial in raising �tness levels.”

Tips for a winning formulaRunning any new programme can be a challenge for schools, so getting a few tips from a seasoned co-ordinator like Deb Upchurch can be helpful.

Deb, who has been a teacher at Waiheke Island’s Te Huruhi Primary School since 1986, helps to co-ordinate the school’s Jump Rope For Heart programme.

She says schools need to set their Skip-a-thon date at least six weeks in advance, to allow enough time to start teaching skipping skills to pupils during their PE time. She says the Jump Rope For Heart resources, such as books, posters and ropes, are invaluable.

“I always start with individual skills, teaching the children how to hold the rope and how to stop correctly. These skills take two to three weeks to teach.”

All children have to take part in Jump Rope but very few of them need persuading, Deb explains.

“Most children are excited to learn how to skip. Of course, there are always going to be unco-ordinated ones who

�nd it di�cult, but with time, practice and encouragement, most kids can master some kind of basic jump.”

Once the children have mastered the art of skipping, they are taught paired skipping skills. Deb says they try to pair children with someone of the same height and skill level to make it easier. Finally, they teach group skipping skills to the children. “Most children love group skipping and all kids can jump over a wriggly rope or run through a turning one,” she says.

Two weeks before the Skip-a-thon, sponsorship forms are sent home with every child. On Skip-a-thon day the children are divided into senior, middle and junior syndicates. “The seniors go out �rst; one child starts for their group and does individual skipping for a few minutes. Then the lead teacher blows the whistle and the next child takes a turn. Soon the middle and junior schools join in,” Deb says. “After a while bedlam ensues and children are skipping everywhere!”

The school makes sure all sponsorship money is collected within two weeks of the Skip-a-thon and, once it receives its 25 percent rebate, the money is spent buying new PE gear. The school raised more than $6,000 in its Skip-a-thon for the Heart Foundation last year.

It is clear that Te Huruhi has found a winning formula for its Jump Rope For Heart programme. We hope this helps your school to �nd one too.

Celebrate Jump Rope For Heart’s 30th birthday by registering at www.heartfoundation.org.nz/jrfhschools* *c

ondi

tions

of r

egis

trat

ion

appl

y

Jump Rope For Heart marks its third decade

CELEBRATING

years30

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS!

Register now at www.heartfoundation.org.nz/jrfhschools to receive our gift to your school in 2015 – a

50% rebate of total funds raised.*

30th Birthday Be part of Jump Rope For Heart’s

Celebration in 2015!

MAKE EVERY BEAT COUNT

30th Be part of Jump Rope For Heart’sBe part of Jump Rope For Heart’s


Learning Space | Sustainability & Solar energy

Rutherford College and De La Salle College are two of �ve secondary schools that won a set of purpose- built bins in a national competition aimed at increasing beverage container recycling rates in New Zealand colleges.

The stainless steel bins, partly funded by a Packaging Forum grant through its Public Places Recycling Scheme, will help schools keep drink containers from ending up in a land�ll.

The project was organised by EERST environmental trust chairman Marty Ho�art and supported by the Coca Cola Foundation.

“The recycling bins are designed to be permanently bolted down next to existing school rubbish bins,” project manager Marty Ho�art says.

“Cleaning up our high schools and encouraging them to recycle is part of a much bigger picture. Within a few years, these students are going to be out there in the community and we

An estimated 80,000 tonnes of electronic waste is dumped into land�lls each year. And not only is it the fastest growing type of waste in the world, it is more toxic than normal household rubbish.

Computers and other electronic devices can contain toxic heavy metals such as cadmium, lead and mercury. The plastic casing and wiring of computer equipment can also contain hazardous materials, such as brominated �ame retardants.

Back in 2006 a report estimated that there were 16 million electronic devices in use in New Zealand – and it stands to reason the number must now be signi�cantly higher.

Increased recycling rate pays off

Eliminating e-waste

Two Auckland high schools have started the year with a $4,000 innovation to keep cans and bottles out of land�lls.

We think about recycling our glass, newspapers and plastic, but where do you think all of our old of�ce and school technology equipment winds up?

Today, much of this equipment is now reaching the end of its life and is being disposed of in land�lls.

However, safely recycling your old machinery is fairly easy. Items in good condition can be donated to genuine charities through www.donatenz.com or sold on www.trademe.co.nz.

There is a nationwide network of drop o� locations for e-waste recycling. This initiative, called RCN e-Cycle and currently has 70 sites operating around New Zealand.

Schools and students can learn about the importance of recycling e-waste by visiting www.rcn.co.nz/ewaste, or www.zerowaste.co.nz.

Schoolgen is into its 9th year with 71 schools across New Zealand with free solar panels (and counting).

The programme is now on target to have 100 schools with free solar panels.

Schoolgen is a programme developed by Genesis Energy (one of New Zealand’s largest power companies) to bring solar energy and energy e�ciency to life for children across New Zealand.

The Schoolgen programme has made it easy for teachers to link the learning about solar energy and energy e�ciency into their curriculum delivery plan.

The Schoolgen website is very comprehensive which embraces all aspects of learning for all age groups. Check out www.schoolgen.co.nz

Here you’ll �nd online resources and live solar data. Which is the sunniest Schoolgen school now? The icons on the map of New Zealand on the homepage show where the Schoolgen schools are located.

Both students and teachers are fascinated by being able to click on to the icons and �nd the data.

The colour coding gives them a clue but they always want to know how much electricity various schools are generating. This is real time solar data from across New Zealand which is a very valuable resource for our students to explore.

Educational resources are a huge part of the Schoolgen programme which teachers can just download and use.

Year 1 – 8 students are provided with engaging stories that weave in key learning about solar energy and energy e�ciency.

Every school can link to the e-books with the character voices for students to listen to, or read along with, allowing the younger students who cannot read at this level to still hear the stories and their messages.

How energy efficiency can be a great learning experience

There are two e-books on solar energy and two e-books on energy e�ciency. These books have now been translated into Te Reo Maori, providing a very valuable resource for Maori language immersion programmes in schools.

There is an increasing awareness in our schools of energy e�ciency and solar energy that re�ects what is happening in our lives and the lives of our students.

Our young people are our future leaders and decision makers.

Ongoing supportSchools that have received the PV panels are supported by Genesis Energy to become lead Schoolgen schools in their area and receive the following support:

• Establishment of a student lead team and lead teacher to drive the school’s involvement in Schoolgen

• Annual sta� meeting to help the teachers unpack the Schoolgen teaching resources

• Ongoing assistance from the Genesis Energy to support the school’s participation in Schoolgen.

Energy e�ciencyEnergy e�ciency is about using less energy to do the same job, equally as well or better.

For example LED tubes can replace old �uorescent tube lighting in classrooms creating a more pleasant light that turns on instantly, doesn’t �icker, lasts longer and uses about half the amount of energy.

This saves a lot of money over time, creates less of the greenhouse gas emissions that cause Global Warming and Climate Change, and reduces the need to build more power stations.

Energy e�ciency practices like increased insulation in buildings and more e�cient heating, creates warmer, drier and healthier homes and schools.

Energy e�ciency has very positive health, social, and economic bene�ts.

For more information visit www.schoolgen.co.nz

need them to be smart about minimising waste and reusing resources.”

EERST already delivers the successful Paper4trees recycling programme to more than 4,000 New Zealand schools. The programme is focussed on paper and cardboard and deals with early childhood, primary and all the way up to high schools.

“High school students generally have more money to spend on drinks and better access to shops than younger children. Typically, all those cans and bottles have ended up in rubbish skips, but these stainless steel bins are going to put a stop to that.”

He says each of the winning secondary schools had to prove students and sta� were motivated and organised enough to make good use of them. Every bin comes with a 10 year warranty and a price tag of more than $2,000 to manufacture, sign write and deliver and each school receives two bins.

Vauxhall School in Devonport’s 15 kilowatt solar PV array. In early Dec 2014 this was the largest solar array on a school in the North Island.


Beyond the Classroom | School camping

In my camp planning I am always looking for ways to give the children opportunities and experiences that are often outside their normal world. Knowing the sense of accomplishment they’ll feel when they achieve that signi�cant �rst time on the �ying fox, kayaks, hike to top of Mount Manaia, abseiling and caving at Waipu.

So many challenges by choice opportunities - that’s the thrill of camping for me. Then the realisation hits me; safety, risk management, and getting that balance right.

Sitting in my o�ce, with the overall responsibility of signing o� planning to be presented to the principal and BOT, with the teachers planning for camp, it excites me that they are willing to do this, knowing that fewer teachers now want to take their children camping because of the perceived risk and self doubt that they can run a camp, they can manage the possibility that a child could have an accident, they could end

A place for great adventures

up being in the news and that it could be a serious injury.

In my role I need to know a camp values safety and has a commitment to getting the balance right between challenge, risk and safety. Outdoors Mark is the national standard I am looking for to con�rm the above. This means I know the teachers will be getting the guidance, structure and safe activities to give children life long memories.

Sitting in our latest MBCC board meeting with our manager, presenting our latest H&S report, the board has acknowledged the hard work of Michael (manager) and the H&S committee at being accredited as an Outdoors Mark camp.

It has been a real journey for a camp that is more than 60 years old, knowing that we have invested a lot of time and money into making sure that our camp �ying fox, our site and the way

By Scotty Delemare

Planning to take my kids on camp is one of the most exciting parts of my job as a school teacher. Knowing that these are the memories that the children will hold on to, more than my best ever maths class, more than moving them up a level in reading.

we support camp groups is now up to the level that means that groups can come to our camp knowing that the experience we o�er has been well thought through.

From the moment you arrive you will see a camp that wants you to have a great time, but is committed to supporting your safety management systems.

If you haven’t tried Marsden Bay Christian Camp, come for a visit, you will be impressed by one of the most modern and safe camp sites in the north, close to many of the destinations I mentioned above.

We have lots of accommodation options and an excellent kitchen and dining facility. You will be met by a

The camp is fully catered, and the teach-ers and campers will have every reason to enjoy their time away.

We aim to provide a service and facility that will enrich and enhance your outdoor educational programme. If you have nev-er been to Camp Raglan we warmly invite you to visit our facilities.

Camp Host: Roger Humphis, is available toanswer your enquiries.

Phone 07.825.8068 Fax:07.825.7091Email: [email protected]

Website:www.campraglan.org.nz

Our camp has been developed to cater for a wide variety of groups, which include Primary, Intermediate and High Schools with endless scope for learning activities. This includes bush, small stream studies, inner harbour and ocean beach studies, farm and small town studies, just to name a few.

Sleeping Accommodationis essentially under one roof, which provides easy and secure supervision.

Camp Raglan has a resident cook who provides excellent meals, and with prior arrangements, special dietary needs can be catered for.

where memories are made!

Camp Raglan is a beautiful campsite situated on the bush-clad slopes of Mt Karioi and has panoramic views of the Tasman Sea and beach. It is a great place to get away from it all and have loads of fun!

Our Activities Include: Paintball course, Low ropes course, team building activites, confidence course, swimming pool, archery, air-rifles, orienteering, flying fox, table tennis, BMX bikes, volleyball, trampoline, a developed playground area, beach and bush walks, a 6-personhammock, a camping area on a stream edge, sports playing field, and a large gymnasium.

Contact: Roger HumphrisPh: (07) 825 8068 Fax: (07) 825 7091

Email: [email protected]: www.cbm.org.nz














Camp Raglan is a beautiful campsite situated on the bushclad slopes of Mt Karioi and has panoramic views of the Tasman Sea and beach. It is a great place to get away from it all and have loads of fun! Our Activities Include: Paintball course, low ropes course, team building activities, con�dence course, swimming pool, archery, air-ri�es, orienteering, �ying fox, table tennis, BMX bikes, volleyball, trampoline, a developed playground area, beach and bush walks, a 6-person hammock, a camping area on a stream edge, sports playing �eld, and a large gymnasium.

Our camp has been developed to cater for a wide variety of groups which include Primary, Intermediate and High Schools with endless scope for learning activities. This includes bush, small stream studies, inner harbour and ocean beach studies, farm and small town studies, just to name a few.

Sleeping Accommodation is essentially under one roof, which provides easy and secure supervision. Camp Raglan has a resident cook who provides excellent meals and with prior arrangements, special dietary needs can be catered for. The camp is fully catered, and the teachers and

campers will have every reason to enjoy their time away. We aim to provide a service and facility that will enrich and enhance your outdoor educational programme. If you have never been to Camp Raglan we warmly invite you to visit our facilites.














Camp Host: Roger Humphris, is available to answer your enquiries.Ph. 07 825 8068 | F. 07 825 7091

E. [email protected] www.campraglan.org.nz

• Only 90 minutes North of Auckland• Sleeps 140 in comfort• Modern facilities• Sheltered beach nearby• Great on-site activities• Several large indoor spaces• Outdoors Mark Certified

Email us for an information pack:[email protected]: (09) 433 0167www.marsdenbay.co.nz

manager who is committed to your stay and meeting the needs of your camp group.

Most exciting is the camp you see today is going to keep getting better in years to come because we are committed to a quality experience, watch this space!

Scotty Delemare is a teacher of Year 7 and 8 children, deputy principal (with EOTC responsibility) at Matarau School and H&S committee member, and MBCC board member.

For more information about Marsden Bay Christian Camp, call (09) 433 0167, email [email protected], or visit www.marsdenbay.co.nz


Beyond the Classroom | School camping

Beyond the Classroom | Fundraising

Whether you are needing to be near the beach or are in town for a sporting event, Paci�c Coast Lodge is

Making the most of your time by the coast

What about selling your school’s very own branded water?

Paci�c Coast Lodge is your 4 star ‘�ashpackers’, being recently voted Best Accommodation New Zealand at the 2014 TNT Golden Backpack Awards. They have everything you need and more to accommodate small to large groups.

Are you looking for a new fundraising initiative for your school that makes great pro�t margins, gets your school noticed with custom branding and is healthy?

conveniently located just 650m from downtown the Mount, 500m to Tay Street Beach, opposite Blake Park Sports Ground, and only few minutes drive from BayWave TECT Aquatic Centre and Bay Park Stadium and Arena.

The lodge o�ers a�ordable, clean accommodation with 96 beds and one large kitchen, along with communal areas where your group can come together and engage. They also have free onsite parking large enough for mini-vans and trailers, along with bus parking in front of the facility.

Having successfully hosted entire schools, sports tournaments, groups and clubs, they go out of their way to customise your requirements and can organise onsite continental breakfasts,

day tours or team building activities - so it’s one less thing to worry about. Groups certainly are their specialty!

Make this summer an occasion to remember, Paci�c Coast Lodge is your number one choice.

Testimonial “A huge thank you, we had such a good time at PCL. I was talking to some of the parent’s last week and they were saying that because we had such a good time at PCL it really set the mood for the rest of the trip. We enjoyed the hospitality, very clean rooms, willingness to help us with restaurants, activities, bookings, etc, nothing was a problem and there was always someone there to help us.

“Staying at PCL was a fantastic experience and a great introduction to the world of backpacking for the tour team. Improvements – I can’t think of anything and not one of the 32 people on the tour had any complaints or bad comments, you and your team are doing a brilliant job.”

– Lucy Williams, Lennox Head U17 Rugby.

Paci�c Coast Lodge432 Maunganui RoadMt MaunganuiFreephone 0800 666 622E info@paci�ccoastlodge.co.nz www.paci�ccoastlodge.co.nz

Then Waimak Water is the answer.

The Canterbury company has been in the water bottling business for more than 40 years and knows a thing or two about how to successfully sell water.

Waimak Water has put together a fantastic fundraising package especially designed for schools who want to raise funds while providing a popular and healthy product.

The fundraising programme involves selling your own personalised brand of pure New Zealand bottled mineral water at school and community events.

The owner of Waimak Water, Sean Cuttance says custom made labels are largely responsible for the success of custom branded bottled water. “Schools can work with our label design team to create their own brand of water unique to their school and fundraising message”.

The amount of money raised per bottle depends on whether the fundraising is undertaken as a short-sharp campaign, or on an ongoing basis however, schools can expect to make roughly $1.00 per bottle sold.

SCHOOL & SPORTS GROUPS WELCOME

432 Maunganui Rd, Mount Maunganui 0800 66 66 22info@paci�ccoastlodge.co.nzwww.paci�ccoastlodge.co.nz

Once an initial order is placed schools can expect their delivery within as little as 10 days from approval of label design and delivery can be made to anywhere in the country.

Waimak Water’s minimum order amount is 10 cartons, which is 180 bottles from the 750ml range or 240 bottles from 500ml range.

While there are a variety of bottle sizes available, Sean says the most popular size among schools is the 750ml sipper bottle option.

Waimak Water T (03) 341 8442E [email protected]


Beyond the Classroom | Outside opportunities

Scratches and bruises from an analogue worldAs one of the founders of an outdoor education trust, I am, not surprisingly, incredibly passionate about and see the importance of outdoor and adventure-based activities in the development of young people.

In an increasingly digital world the challenge of getting kids outside and unplugged is becoming even more challenging.

We have the privilege of introducing a large number of children and young people to outdoor activities. This is done through adventure-based activities, holiday programmes, camps, youth at risk initiatives, our work with schools, the Flaxrock Community Climbing Wall and collaborative programmes.

I �rmly believe that we are not doing our kids any favours by replacing gravity with graphics and face to face conversations with a Facebook status. We have swapped out crashing a pushcart into a blackberry bush for a 200MPH crash on a video consul.

We are allowing kids to be passive observers, side line sitters and let’s face it ‘pikers’.

I know that these are harsh words, but an important part of learning is experiencing consequences, good old fashioned cause and e�ect.

We have recently introduced a new and powerful activity into our camps called ‘not an instant meal’. It is another example of connecting kids again with the process and a simple process at that, but with important discoveries.

The recipe goes like this; take some kids, give them raw sausages and tell them “that is lunch”. The activity is just gold as they must collect wood, light the �re, let it die down to allow them to cook on the �re without incinerating the sausages, cut sticks to place the

sausages on and then wait a painfully long time while the sausages cook.

In our instant, pre-prepared, pre-cooked society waiting for their food to cook is a new experience, but the outcome is worth the wait as they devour a fresh 100 percent beef sausage from the corner butcher and hurriedly and happily repeat the process as success was tasty.

We all like success and success can encourage individuals, teams and organisations to move onto experience more success, but success can also be a poor teacher.

Outdoor education and especially well managed adventure-based learning activities can allow for learning through failure. This is particularly important when one is trying to learn about strengths, weaknesses and team dynamics, as situations can be created or manipulated (skilfully) to allow for important discoveries that there is not time to make in a classroom situation.

So let’s unplug our kids and get them out of their comfort zones, wet, dirty, tired and dare I say it with a couple of scratches and bruises from being fully engaged in an analogue world.

David Tait is a founding member of the Kiwi Adventure Trust. He can be contacted at: [email protected]

“It may be the GO-4-12 Youth Adventure Race, Triple Peaks Challenge, Kayaking, ABL, Caving, Climbing - Indoor & Outdoor, Unit Standards,Journeys or Tramping... The bottom line is, we grow kids through adventure” - David Tait Director

www.kiwi-adventure.co.nz

Quality Outdoor Education and Events

News | Resources

My children are not ‘getting’ maths for some reason!“I want to do better for them this year. I tried all the programmes out there, but they are just a re-hash of the same thing. They didn’t work as I expected. The poor kids feel crushed and totally turned off maths. Some of them are quite bright too.”Numicon is the answer - for all your students – for intervention, general classroom, gifted and SEN!

Numicon is a distinctive multi-sensory approach where children engage in talking, doing, exploring relationships and generalising with mathematical ideas in a structured, sequential and active learning environment. Meaningful tasks are designed to help children make connections with link across the curriculum into science, social studies, music and literacy.

Numicon was founded in the daily experience of intelligent children having real di�culty with maths, the frequent underestimation of the complexity of the ideas that young children are asked to face when doing maths and the recognition of the importance of maths to them and society.

Numicon aims to facilitate children’s understanding and enjoyment of maths by using structured imagery that plays to children’s strong sense of pattern. This is done through research-based, multi-sensory teaching activities.

Numicon takes into account the complexity of abstract number ideas and seeks to foster the self belief necessary to achieve in the face of challenge or di�culty.

Through the combination of communicating mathematically (being active, talking and illustrating), exploring relationships and generalising, children are given the support to structure their experiences: a vital skill for both their mathematical and their overall development.

A multi-sensory approach, particularly one that makes use of structured imagery, provides learners with the opportunity to play to their strengths, thereby releasing their potential to enjoy, understand and achieve in maths. By watching and listening to what children do and say, this enjoyment in achievement, is also shared by teachers and parents.

New Zealand children complete Numicon 1 in their �rst year, the equivalent to Stage 4 NPD. Children complete Numicon 4 in their fourth year and are on their way beginning Stage 7. There are increasing numbers of very happy schools, parents and children, experiencing the excitement of what this success is leading them to.

Numicon strives to support teachers’ subject knowledge and pedagogy by providing rich and appealing teaching materials. Professional Development and ongoing support that will help develop a better understanding of how to encourage all learners in the vital early stages of their mathematical journey.

Con�dence for teachers and students. Scores go up for everyone!

Find out more at www.numicon.co.nz or call 0800 678 581

Numicon is a proven programme using a visual & tactile approach in pattern, conversation & action to develop �uency & con�dence in students from early childhood to Year 4 and beyond in Numeracy, Geometry, Measurement and Statistics.

• Fits well with NZ Curriculum• Year 4 completes Stage 6 NP• New entrants programme• Special needs• Intervention programme• Gifted and talented• Full class programme for Y 1-6

• Top preferred programme in UK• NZ supplier• PD at all levels• Teachers love the success• Children and their families love their success


Learning Space | ICTLearning Space | Good ideas

Safe and cost-effective coverWith high demand on principals to allocate the limited funding you receive, you want to know your money is well spent.

Obviously, being able to access instant information has made the Internet a bit of a hit. But with continually evolving software and higher spec hardware to run it, keeping up with the pace of change can seem a little daunting. But it doesn’t need to be if you get the right people to advise and help.

Add to this the importance of protecting sta�, teachers and students from nature’s best and worst, be it winter weather or summer sun, then the simplicity and cost - e�ectiveness of Uniport coverings makes them a wonderful solution for any school requiring some extra cover.

The innovative design of Uniport covers make them maintenance-free and built to last.

The Uniport has been installed in schools around the world for the last 30 years, and the truly stunning aspect about the Uniport is the cantilevered roof, which allows you unlimited freedom to move around, because the posts are on just one side.

Having a Uniport installed outside a classroom gives added advantage for teachers, as they can send pupils

Let’s say it’s been a few years since your website was given a facelift, then SchoolWeb may be the answer you’ve been looking for. The SchoolWeb Website Content Management System (CMS) is an easy and cost - e�ective way for schools of all sizes to implement a website.

The system allows schools to log in to a password protected system and maintain their website. Unlike other competing systems, SchoolWeb allows full control over creating and amending webpages, and it’s almost as straightforward as using Microsoft Word! You do not need any knowledge of HTML, web programming, or how to upload your site using complicated FTP software. You can update the site from wherever you have a web-browser and an Internet connection.

outside when it’s raining, and in the summer it provides all the shade you need over hot classroom windows during those summer months.

The solid polycarbonate can be walked on and is impact resistant with the likes of students’ balls, etc. They are also engineered so steel netting is not required under the polycarbonate.

Uniport structures are incredibly strong, being aircraft-grade aluminium – the best you can buy. Uniports can be extended as your school roll expands or funding is made available. A Uniport can be installed outside of school hours.

For more information call (09) 627 2127, visit www.uniport.co.nz, or email Mark at: [email protected]

Websites that workTo begin with, your website is designed by a professional graphic designer, who goes to great lengths to ensure that the graphical design re�ects the unique culture of the school. Then free training is provided to get you started and there are no expensive yearly licensing fees.

Now of course you’ll want to update, improve and adapt your site as time goes on, so all the editing is done through the CMS system that’s easy enough for even the most technophobic classroom teachers and admin sta� to use.

As well as a general website media, SchoolWeb features ways for sta� to collaborate, parents to participate, children to communicate and the whole community to share in the activities of schools in a safe way moderated by the schools.

Newsletters, calendars, homework downloads, classroom projects with visitor and parent comments, forums, rosters, resource bookings, calendars, blogs and surveys are among the many abilities of the SchoolWeb system. The schools are in control and anything is possible.

Another focus is the growing trend towards integrating content from external websites. SchoolWeb allows content from Youtube, Teachertube, Slideshare, Twitter, Blogger, Google Apps and numerous other style sites to be easily embedded into the system.

Schools can obtain more information from either www.schoolweb.co.nz or by calling 0800 48 48 43

Joseph DriessenBSc TTC MEdAdmin

Joseph is a well known education consultant and professional speaker, who has been providing his clients a quality range of services for the last 15 years.

EDUCATION ANSWERS

• Motivational speaking to staff and parents

• School based Professional Development

• Leadership coaching to Senior and Middle Management Teams

• Principal support, mentoring and appraisal

• Individual staff coaching and appraisal

• Conflict resolution and problem solving

• Facilitating in-depth school wide self reviews

• Keynote speaking and workshops to Conferences.

Contact Joseph by email [email protected] phone 027 206 2929

Great tools for teachers

For more information on Alison’s work and her resources contact: [email protected] I [email protected] I www.ecpublishing.com.au

Dr Alison Davis is a well known education author, speaker and researcher within New Zealand and overseas. She has a PHD from Auckland University, was a Bright Futures Scholar 2003-2005 and has a 1st class Masters degree in Educational Administration and Management. Dr Davis is also the director of Vision Education and author of eight teaching resources, to support effective instruction of reading and writing. She spoke with Principals Today about her teaching resources.

How does New Zealand rate in assisting achievement in under achieving students?New NZ gathers information about literacy achievement a number of ways including through international research (e.g. PIRLS), national monitoring and individual school reporting against national standards. This helps form policy and interventions at national level that currently include in-depth literacy professional learning and development projects for schools and intervention based work known as Programmes for Students (PFS). Schools enter these projects through contact with their local ministry office.

How does this impact on your work?In my PLD work the Vision Education team work alongside leaders and teachers across a range of national projects to provide strong school and classroom-based literacy initiatives focusing on inquiry into practices that support and accelerate the achievement of our diverse learners.

The work includes mentoring leaders and teachers, supporting the process of needs analysis for teachers and students, planning needs based workshops and seminars, and demonstrating/ co-teaching in classrooms.

This work in schools has a focus on developing school and class based inquiry and supporting teaching approaches through which learning is visible to students. These approaches support a highly metacognitive approach to teaching and learning.

Where do your reading and writing resources fit in?After completing my PHD I made the decision to write resources that would support and motivate classroom teachers. Prior to this I had been on the core writing team for the Effective Practice Literacy Series (ELP 1-4, 5-8 and Oral language 1-3 4-8), so I was experienced in drawing on high quality research to develop teacher resources. My goal is to ensure that the resources I produce for teachers reflect best New Zealand and international research and are easily transferable in to practice.

I strongly believe that teachers and students deserve resources that provide more than “photocopied good ideas” – rather are strongly grounded on best practice and provide opportunities for discussion, critique and innovation.

My first text Teaching Reading Comprehension provides a strong overview on classroom literacy instruction including such components as word recognition, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. While I am currently working on the 2nd edition of this text, it is interesting to note that these aspects of reading comprehension are extremely topical within current international research and yet not always practiced. We often see a focus on teaching comprehension strategies but neglect the vocabulary, fluency and word recognition aspects of a strong child centred instructional programme.

Building comprehension strategies followed this text. It unpacks some of the key strategies used by ‘good’ readers when they read fiction and information texts. The framework for this text is based on providing explicit instruction by providing ‘kid friendly’ definitions of a strategy, identifying specific benefits of using a range of strategies to support and extend comprehension, sharing success criteria to make learning transparent and drawing on strong metacognitive teaching approaches that include the think aloud and peer teaching approaches.

In this way the resource also provides a model for development across other strategies to be taught. There is also an important section on combining strategies for various purposes and text challenges.

Effective writing instruction is my newest text. In this I focus very strongly on student centred practices. I have taken a strong stance on preparing to write

and on linking skill instruction to the process of revising and evaluating writing. I also discuss the importance of having a strong purpose for writing – this includes the purpose of writing to learn.

The text encourages the purposeful use of specific success criteria as required – i.e. when meeting the needs of students – and provides multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate learning to others, co-construct authentic and challenging writing tasks and strengthen links between reading, writing and oral language.

Tell us more about the information text reading modules – Explorations Strategies for Comprehension for Informative Texts?In recent years we have seen a strong focus on students need to transfer reading across the curriculum and this involves knowing how to read information presented in a range of different ways. Apart from reading information from sentences and paragraphs, students need to learn how to read tables, graphs, charts, heading, subheadings and diagrams.

If we look at our most recent PIRLS results we see that a large number of NZ students struggle to locate and use information presented in this way. My research around this led me to develop a series of modules that would support readers to learn to read high quality information text. Each module has 122 rich texts available in hard copy and digital version and there are five modules ranging from text readability 7 to 12+.

Within each resource I have drawn on the Gradual Release of Responsibility model (David Pearson) to provide a series of teaching sequences that lead students from highly supported instruction to partner learning, and then to individual practice. In addition there is a strong focus on vocabulary instruction within each text.

Developing the resource as a series of modules has allowed schools to use these with flexibility. It is important that the resource does not run the literacy programme – and that student learning needs do! Some teachers use hard copy resources, others digital, some use the resources within their daily instructional rotation; others use it to support older readers who are reading below expected levels of achievement and for their ELL learners.The response from teachers using it has been overwhelmingly positive.


Learning Space | Special education

The �rst intake of 10 students into the Arrowsmith Program for children (and adults) with cognitive learning disabilities in Christchurch’s Seven Oaks School is o�cially underway.

The program begins at Seven Oaks next term and learning support teacher Karen Arnst is just back from intensive training in Toronto.

Seven Oaks is unique in that it is running both the Feuerstein Program and the Arrowsmith Program, two di�erent programs that address cognitive challenges. The Feuerstein Program will run for three hours a week in the primary school, whereas the Arrowsmith Program is more intensive and will run for four 40 minute periods a day, and so far includes children from Year 6 upwards (Seven Oaks is Primary, Intermediate and High School).

Barbara Arrowsmith Young developed cognitive exercises and founded the Arrowsmith Program more than 30 years ago. It demonstrates that it is possible for students to strengthen

Seven Oaks adopts Arrowsmith systemThe revolutionary Canadian “Arrowsmith Program” that rewires the brain of kids with cognitive learning challenges is heading south, marking a breakthrough for Christchurch kids with learning challenges.

the dysfunctions that underlie their learning di�culties, through a programme of speci�c brain exercises.

It identi�es, intervenes and strengthens the weak cognitive capacities that a�ect learning. Some of the students with mild learning di�culties have been in the programme for a year and are now returning to their class - for others it will be a longer time – three to four years in the programme.

The programme has proven e�ective for students having di�culty with reading, writing and mathematics, comprehension, logical reasoning, problem solving, visual and auditory memory, non-verbal learning, attention, processing speed and dyslexia.

Arrowsmith students are typically of average or above intelligence, but experience problems in school which may include di�culties with reading, writing, mathematics, memory, understanding, dyslexia or ADD.

Each student is unique in his or her combination of problem areas and the exercise programme is tailored for each student’s particular needs. These include written, visual, auditory, pencil and paper, and computer exercises. Each student is assessed at the end of each year to evaluate progress and their programme is modi�ed as needed for the subsequent year.

Students complete four 40 minute classes a day working on their relevant modules.

These modules are outside the curriculum, but designed to rewire important cognitive fundamentals.

The programme is currently running in three schools in Auckland and one in Wellington.

Parents who would like investigate the programme for their children, or for themselves, can contact Seven Oaks School Principal, Owen Arnst at (03) 377 8603.

Article submitted by Rachel Alexander


Working Space | Uniforms

C-Force Textiles was established in 1993 by Ming Zhang and is a wholesaler for uniforms from sport t-shirts, hoodies and polos, to merino, �eece garments, headwear, compression sportswear and custom made school uniforms. The long standing company has sourcing o�ces in Shanghai and Dhaka, with its head o�ce in Auckland and a branch in Christchurch.

Since its inception the company has had to stay on top of its game by keeping up to date with changes in the market. “Fabrications have become a lot more technical, and garments have more features,” C-Force Textiles general manager Liane Smithies says.

“We have an increasing amount of custom made product orders, particularly for schools who want a unique uniform that stands out from other schools.”

C-Force invests a lot of time in new product development. Its research of the school uniform market showed

that parents pay good money for polo shirts, and yet the product was ‘pilling’ and looking tatty after a few months. So it developed a school polo made from anti-pill yarn, the �rst of its kind in New Zealand. It is the most durable fabrication to make school polo shirts out of. This will be a huge bene�t for schools having hardier polo shirts for their students.

C-Force’s polyester Quickdry polo’s and sports tees are made from the original Quickdry yarn. The yarn used in the

Unlimited Editions range mean they are less hot to wear and do not retain the sweat smell as other polyester garments do.

The company has also been developing an a�ordable new product: a waterproof/breathable rain coat which has all the technical features of a big brand outdoor jacket. This will be launched in April 2015 for kids and adults.

“The biggest change in the market is lots of small suppliers coming into the market who import cheap products that simply do not last or poorly made. We sit with the ‘when quality matters’ mantra and ensure that every garment order is thoroughly tested for fabrication and construction hardiness.”

The company stands by its wide range of quality products; it has been making custom made school wear for 10 years and know how to construct good quality garments. The Unlimited Editions brand is available from uniform stockists/suppliers around the country, so any schools wanting to improve their school uniform should talk to their current uniform supplier about getting their product. Visit the website if you wish to see samples.

www.unlimitededitions.co.nz

Tailored to wear well Operating for more than 20 years, C-Force Textiles understands how to meet school uniform requirements and exceed expectation by delivering high quality products to schools all around the country.

for a standard business website or full e-commerce site, which means your business can sell products 24/7.

[email protected] | 0800 444 090 | www.fatweb.co.nz

Did you know... If your site doesn’t appear in the �rst 2 pages when someone “Googles” your industry, you’re missing out on business.

In fact some studies show that less than 1% of people even look past the second page of Google. We pride ourselves on providing unbelievable SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) which means endeavouring to get your business on the �rst couple of pages on Google.

One of our de�ning features is that our sites are extremely easy to manage so you can change your content or photos as often as you like. If you’re able to

book an airline ticket online, you can change the content on our websites.

Our parent company has been around since 1980.

FatWeb, formally known as Treacy Advertising has been running for 15 years, so if you have any issues you can be sure we’ll be here. We have been making websites for more than 15 years - we know what we’re doing.

Our websites start from $1997+gst

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AUCKLAND OFFICELevel 14, 57 Fort Street, Auckland, 1010

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For a free

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team on

for a standard business website or full e-commerce site, which means your business can sell products 24/7.7.7

[email protected] | 0800 444 090 | www.fatweb.co.nz

Did you know...If your site doesn’t appear in the �rst 2 pages when someone “Googles” your industry, you’re missing out on business.

In fact some studies show that less than 1% of people even look past the second page of Google. We pride ourselves on providing unbelievable SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) which means endeavouring to get your business on the �rst couple of pages on Google.

One of our de�ning features is that our sites are extremely easy to manage so you can change your content or photos as often as you like. If you’re able to

book an airline ticket online, you can change the content on our websites.

Our parent company has been around since 1980.

FatWeb, formally known as Treacy Advertising has been running for 15 years, so if you have any issues you can be sure we’ll be here. We have been making websites for more than 15 years - we know what we’re doing.

Our websites start from $1997+1997+1997 gst

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NEED A NEW WEBSITE FOR YOUR SCHOOL?

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4 WEEK TURNAROUNDWe will have your website ready within 4 weeks.

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Working Space | Property

Some of the key features for using this system are:

• Continuous installation, �owing around equipment and poles, leaving no gaps, rolling over mounds and following contoured surfaces

• Fabulous colour options which you can join with a pattern or design of your choice to create your own unique playground

• 100 percent recycled rubber

• Impact pads for areas where a softer landing is needed, scu� pads, DIY modular long run and tiles, deck and ramp matting are also available

• Make it non slip and safe

• Avoid tile joins

• Wetpour requires minimal maintenance – forget the days of topping up bark

The benefits of the Burgess system The reasons for using and bene�ts of a Burgess Wetpour system are varied! This great playground surface enables your matting to be installed as a continuous installation, �owing around equipment and poles, leaving no gaps, rolling over mounds and following contoured surfaces.

• Will last for many years as it’s very durable

• Base preparation prior to the matting installation is of the utmost importance and can add years to your playground surface

• NZS5828:2004 compliant and comes with a �ve year warranty.

Burgess Matting o�ers a free, no obligation measure and quote. A sales representative can meet with you to discuss the matting systems which are suitable for your requirements.

Invest in BMS Wetpour Playground Matting and provide your children with a safe and enjoyable environment and give yourself the bene�t of reduced maintenance.

Burgess MattingT 0800 80 85 70E [email protected]

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A MAT FOR ANY SITUATION


Working Space | Property

Designers of playground equipment are constantly coming up with new exciting pieces – like spinners and rockers – as well as inventing new versions of the ever popular swings and slides. Equipment that is a winner with children also creates a challenge when choosing a suitable playground safety surface – how to �nd a soft fall product that does not wear out or scatter.

Play Matta™ Original Scu� Pads are the answer. A self-draining modular system, made from durable plastic, with an underlying rubber shock pad for impact attenuation, Play Matta™ Scu�s will outlast the equipment.

Playground high use areasScu�ed out areas of woodchips that no longer provide the required fall height attenuation is a problem no longer. Gone are the dirty hollows under swings where water pools. Gone also the hard, rain-collecting depressions at the slide discharge points, and gone are the trenches around spinners.

Constant raking and replenishing of woodchips is a thing of the past and playground providers no longer have to put up with ugly patched rubber wetpour that wears out with the abrasion of children’s shoes.

High use and high impact areas are also the areas where ongoing fall height attenuation is most critical. With a six year warranty, Play Matta Original Scu�s keep performing and need little or no maintenance.

The surfacing system is installed over a compacted base, the interlocking tiles are welded together to doubly ensure there is no splitting at the seams, and the whole Scu� is prevented from moving by non-metal �xing pins driven into the ground.

Play Matta™ Original Scu� Pads are compatible with woodchips and other loose �ll products. Their impact attenuation properties won’t be

compromised when the loose �ll is scattered over the surface, even if �ne material falls into the holes in the mats.

Play Matta™ Scu� Pads are the cost-e�ective solution because they are installed exactly where they are needed, and they last. They can even be lifted and reused in another location when equipment is replaced.

The playground can retain its ‘natural’ look with areas away from the

equipment being left in woodchips or grass. And decision makers will be following sustainable procurement principles by purchasing a product that has been made from 100 percent recycled feedstock. For further information phone Play Matta™ on 0800 MATTAS (0800 628 827) or email: [email protected]


09 832 2670


Inner Space | In the classroom

Every new teacher naturally wants to do the best they can for their students and a smooth transition into the classroom will go a long way to achieving this.

So get a strong start and stay on track during Term 1 and your new teaching career with these handy hints that will help you get o� on the right foot.

Build relationshipsBuilding open, positive relationships within your school community is pivotal to the success of your year and ongoing career. Reach out and introduce yourself to teachers in the school, particularly those who teach the same year as you.

It is also key to get to know the administration team, show them you are open and encourage them to get to know you. But, of course the most important relationships you will build are the ones with your students and their parents.

You now play a signi�cant part in their lives and your actions will have a big impact on the child’s development and achievements going forward.

CommunicateHow you begin to communicate with students and parents will set the tone for the rest of the year. So open up the communication lines early and make an e�ort to talk with parents to let them know you want the best for their child.

Some of the ways you can connect with families are:

• Send home a newsletter introducing yourself • Organise an after school meet and greet session

• Call hard to reach parents

• Make an extra e�ort to talk with parents during drop o� and pick up times.

Share an idea Open up and be part of the conversation rather than isolating yourself, by sharing and collaborating with fellow colleagues. Working together to share new ideas, resources, projects and lesson plans is helpful and rewarding for all involved.

The charity Brake, which co-ordinates the event, is encouraging educators to go to www.roadsafetyweek.org.nz to get ideas on teaching and promoting road safety during the week, and register for a free e-action pack.

MentorsBeing a new teacher is a hard road to travel. To make the journey a smoother ride and more enjoyable enlist the help of a mentor. The mentor could be an experienced teacher within your school however, if there isn’t a mentor available at your school look online.

There are a number of virtual mentor sites which will connect you with a professional in your �eld.

Ask for helpNew teachers often fail to ask for help, but remember you don’t have to struggle alone. In fact there are many people including your principal and colleagues who are able and willing to share advice. Remember asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but of strength.

Grow Sure, you’re now quali�ed to teach – great, but that doesn’t mean you know everything there is to know about teaching. Be willing to grow and learn with every opportunity you get by openly receiving constructive criticism and advice and be willing to make adjustments and improvements.

Professional developmentLearning is a lifelong process so it is important to regularly set aside time to attend professional development

The initiative is a great opportunity for teachers, youth workers, and early-learning educators to engage pupils of all ages in life saving lessons and encourage safer, more responsible road use throughout the community.

Educators can also access free electronic resources and guidance to help them get involved. Go to www.brake.org.nz/rsw-educators for ideas and register to get a free e-action pack (emailed out from March). This includes downloadable posters to display during the week and advice and case studies of what other schools have done in previous years.

The theme for the NZ Week is ‘Look out for kids’ with the purpose of raising awareness of the ways everyone can help protect one another on roads, especially the most vulnerable.

Brake will particularly call on drivers to protect children by slowing down around schools and in communities and keep

conferences to improve your craft. These days it is easier and cheaper than ever to participate in professional development courses with the proliferation of webinars. You’ll find a vast array of free education webinars online.

FailYou are going to fail – it’s a fact, but it’s ok because everyone fails at some stage in their life. Whether your failure is big or small it doesn’t matter, what’s important is what you do about it. So don’t be afraid to fail instead embrace it as an opportunity to learn and evolve.

Start a diary Your first year as a teacher will fly by so start a diary and record your experiences. No doubt you will face many challenges and learning curves and it’s important to capture these moments in writing to reflect back on and learn from. You could journal in a personal diary or on a blog, whichever suits you. When you look back on the journey you will be amazed at how far you’ve come.

RelaxFinally, take the time to rest and relax. New teachers can have the tendency to charge full steam into their careers with the best intentions. But if you don’t have a work and personal life balance you will quickly burn out. So stay motivated and focussed by simply taking a break.

Ten tips for new teachers

Educators urged to start planning for Road Safety Week

Starting your career as a teacher is an exciting time, but it can also be �lled with anxiety and stress.

Teachers and childcarers are urged to start planning now for Road Safety Week 2015 (May 4-10), which involves hundreds of schools each year.

their full attention on the road. Educators can run their initiative on this theme or any other road safety topic.

As part of the week, Brake will be encouraging schools and kindergartens to hold a Giant Walk to call on drivers in their community to slow down and ‘Look out for kids’.

More guidance and resources for holding an event will be in the e-action pack.

Brake director Caroline Perry says “Road safety is a critical issue for schools and educators can be pivotal in helping reduce the risks children and young people face by teaching road safety, raising awareness locally and campaigning for safer streets. Educators can join our calls for drivers to slow down around schools and in communities to help protect children.”

There are lots of options for getting involved, whether it’s teaching children

about basic rules for crossing the road safely, educating teenagers about not taking risks as passengers, reminding families to use child restraints and booster seats, or campaigning for drivers to slow down. Go to the Road Safety Week webpages for ideas and examples.

In 2013, 37 children and young people aged 19 and under were killed on NZ roads, and over 2,000 more were injured, so raising awareness of road safety is vital.

It’s an engaging topic with plenty of scope for creative and interactive learning, while also meeting curriculum goals. Road Safety Week is also an opportunity for schools wanting to campaign for safer roads in their area to promote action to protect local children and families.

Register at www.roadsafetyweek.org.nz to get a free e-action pack.

By Laura Baker

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Working Space | Swimming poolsWorking Space | Music - Performing arts

Taking centre stage Stronglite Staging are specialists in the design, manufacture and hire of premium equipment that is ideal for schools, universities, theatres, community centres and multi-use and sports venues. The Stronglite range is ideal for school halls, auditoriums, drama suites, gymnasiums, sports �elds and swimming pools.

Schools are required by law to test their swimming pool water to ensure they are safe to swim in.

Strength: Stronglite Stage and Seating products are designed and manufactured to be strong and durable and are tested to make sure they meet our high standards of performance under live and static load conditions.

Lightness: Innovative design and use of material creates equipment that is light and easy to handle, saving time and possible injury.

Safety: Engineer’s design certi�cation, documented test results, quali�ed tradespeople, monitoring of product in the workplace, established safe working loads, and our products conform to or exceed industry regulations and guidelines. You can be sure that our premium quality products meet exacting safety standards.

Simplicity: Superior design ensures our products are quick, simple and easy to transport and assemble, saving you time and e�ort.

Portability: We design for easy handling, transporting and storage. Choir risers fold up and wheel away. Grandstands quickly disassemble for easy transport and storage. Wheels and trolleys are also available for increased manoeuvrability.

Swimming Pools are treated to keep the microorganism population down to levels which are considered safe for bathers and the quality of the water depends on the e�ciency of the water treatment.

To gauge this, a testing programme has been set up with accepted guidelines as per the New Zealand Standard for Pool Water Quality NZS 5826:2010.

Four di�erent tests are carried out and below is an explanation of each:

Standard Plate CountThis test looks for the total number of general bacteria which present in the water. If there are high counts of bacteria it may be indicative of a problem, and “where there is smoke, there may well be �re”.

Faecal Coliform CountThis is an indicator test which looks at the presence of bacteria of faecal origin. If faecal coliforms are present, it indicates that there is a possibility that other bacteria associated with the gut, such as Salmonella or Campylobacter, may also be present. These bacteria can cause sickness.

Stage SectionsThese are portable, safe and easy to handle and store.

Pit In�lls & Stage Extensions These can be custom designed and are ideal for either new venues or re�ts. Choir Risers Two, three and four level, folding choir risers with safety rails and carpeted decks are quiet, stable, easy to handle, transport and store.

GrandstandsThese all aluminium grandstands can be demountable or �xed. Wheels can be �tted for manoeuvrability making them ideal for the gym, around pools and the sports �eld.

Portable Sports Shelters Excellent for use at the tennis or netball courts or on the rugby �elds.

Ballet Barres (Perfect for dance studios) Stronglite Staging Ltd is committed to �nding a solution that works for the individual client and guarantees its products.

Stronglite Staging Limited196 Finlayson RoadRD10, HamiltonT 0800 787 899E [email protected]

Staphylococcus aureus CountThis bacteria can cause skin irritations especially in wounds, cuts or abrasions. It can also cause sickness if swallowed or ingested. It can be found in infected wounds or in the nasal cavity when you have a cold.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa Count This bacteria is associated with eye and ear infections when dunking the head in swimming pools.

Spa and swimming pool guidelines - NZ5826:2010 Standard Guidelines

• Standard Plate Count: (less than) <200 bacteria per ml water

• Faecal Coliform Count: (less than) <1 bacteria per 100mls water

• Staphylococcus aureus Count: (less than) <100 bacteria per 100mls water

• Pseudomonas aeruginosa Count: (less than) <10 bacteria per 100mls water.

Water testing is one of Hill Laboratories’ specialist areas and Hill Labs have a speci�c test kit for swimming pool water available.

To arrange a swimming pool water test or call 07 858 2000 in the North Island or 03 377 7176 in the South Island or visit www.hill-laboratories.com

Testing the waters

Smart New Initiative Locks in Power Costs for 20 Years...

After in depth consultation with schools and universities, solarcity has launched the solarZeroSchools initiative, to help schools lock in a fairer, �xed price for power and help protect our environment.

With power prices across the nation going up again on April the 1st and high winter power bills due to hit schools hard again this year, the solarZeroSchools initiative has been designed to give schools a smart new way to go solar that doesn’t impact on their operating costs, and delivers power at a more a�ordable price.

Andrew Booth, CEO of New Zealand’s leading solar power company solarcity, says they’ve received support from schools across the nation and has installed solar panels on 22 schools to date; further uptake from schools has been hampered by the upfront cost of solar panels.

“While the number of schools going solar is growing, this uptake is dwarfed by the scale of the problems caused by the rising price of power across our communities and the problems posed by climate change – problems that our kids in particular will spend much of their lives sorting out,” he says. “Principals I talk with are greatly concerned about their high power bills, with each increase directly impacting on school teaching budgets,” he says. “Schools are perfect candidates for solar PV because they use most of their power during the day when solar systems are producing their highest output.”

Using solarZeroSchools, schools can now install solar PV for little or no upfront cost and buy solar power that’s more a�ordable in the longer term. First developed in the US this approach allows schools to pay for the power generated by the solar system, instead of the panels.

With this method, schools can have solar panels installed by solarcity, yet pay a �xed monthly price for the power they generate for the next 20 years – long term power that’s clean, green and inexpensive! In addition to the �nancial bene�ts of a solar power system, solarcity developed in partnership with the Nelson Environment Centre an education programme facilitated by registered teachers to open up new learning opportunities for students. The solar systems connect solar to the classroom using the latest web-based monitoring technology, allowing students and sta� to see exactly how much power the school’s PV system is producing and its carbon savings from anywhere in the school.

Our natural environment is the foundation not only of our economy but our sense of identity.

About solarZeroSchoolsThe goal of the solarZeroSchools’ initiative is to provide schools with a clean energy future, and a full curriculum programme of solar and renewable energy topics. All schools around New Zealand can register with solarZeroSchools. The solarcity team will tailor the best technology package and funding model for each school, and implement the programme’s curriculum tools for free. Long-term funding for the initiative has been emplaced with the help of Sir Stephen Tindall’s K1W1 investment fund and equity from the Government’s super fund through Pencarrow.

About solarcity New Zealand Ltd solarcity is the nation’s leading solar power company, having put more solar systems on New Zealand homes over the last 30 years than any other. It is also one of the top �ve fastest growing green companies in New Zealand and was the �rst solar company in the world to achieve CarboNZero accreditation. solarcity is in business for a purpose: to help create a cleaner world and a sustainable future and to transform New Zealand to be 100% renewable.

Principal John Armstrong along with students of Henley School in Richmond holds one of the 60, 250 watt panels that were installed on the school by solarcity.

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SOLAR WITH NO CAPITAL

COST

principals today #105

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