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The Sun
Wednesday February 1, 2023
Power with the collective By Chris Valli
KAI STUCK: Picton resident Donna O’Donnell sent The Sun Newspaper the above pictures last week of her Fox Terrier ‘Kai’ stuck 12 metres in a 14 metre high Macrocarpa shelter belt at her sister’s property. Donna says they had to eventually call the fire brigade who were all well entertained by his predicament. “What a day that was,” says Donna.
What do you call 565 educational delegates from 21 Marlborough schools? The 2023 Piritahi - Kāhui Ako staff teacher only day at the ASB Theatre. Piritahi – Weaving Learners Together - saw teachers, principals, learning assistants (teacher aides) represented at a professional development day on Friday with educators from Kaikoura to Picton. Redwoodtown Principal Aaron Vercoe is the Piratahi Kahui Ako co lead alongside Principal Gaylene Beattie of Springlands School. The role sees them collaborate across 21 schools to ‘strengthen teacher capability’ while ‘working through some shared achievement challenges’ including early learning services, primary, intermediate and secondary level. What used to be known as ‘Communities of Learning’ or a cluster of schools, the concept and vision is about strategically planning together with a ‘coherent set of values and beliefs’. Aaron says the transition of learners from early childhood to secondary is fundamental to achieve not only educational but social outcomes also. “Despite the variances in
our schools there are many similarities with going between our (Marlborough) sectors,” he says. “We know that when children change schools that can have a dramatic impact. The closer we are aligned the better we will be.” The Te Takanga o Te Wa in Te Marautanga o Aotearoa (New Zealand histories) curriculum will be implemented when all Marlborough akonga/students return to school and taught under the Social Sciences learning area of the curriculum from early childhood to tertiary. The new content will support akonga to be critical thinkers and understand our past, in order to make sense of the present. Aaron says fundamentals of literacy and numeracy will be imperative with the co-construction of the learning being planned and assessed. “There will be so much more buy-in from our community when we understand and share the history our people have been through,” he says. “This is what our staff only day is about, celebrating the role of our educators across Piritahi have in sharing our Aotearoa New Zealand histories.” The staff only day was held with support from local
Redwoodtown Principal Aaron Vercoe and Springlands School Principal Gaylene Beattie. Both are Piratahi Kahui Ako co leads. Aaron says teachers know when children change schools that can have a dramatic impact on social and academia. "The closer we are aligned (as a Piritahi) the better we will be.”
mana whenua iwi ; Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rārua, Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira and Te Rūnanga a Rangitāne o Wairau. Teachers heard from keynote speakers and participated in iwi fieldtrips to locally significant historical sites. Aaron says they are pleased to have the connection with iwi as he says it is imperative to build their capacity in supporting change within our schools for learners. “Having a greater understanding of where those navigational stories come from and what impacts our kids collectively is
the only way to do it. We can’t leave it to schools in isolation to do it themselves.” Aaron says Marlborough has a wealth of knowledge to tell those cultural narratives such as Picton’s Rita Powick with her role within Maori learners and education and Dr Peter Meihana, a senior lecturer in Maori history at Massey University based here in Waiharakeke/Blenheim. “This new curriculum will give life to our histories and credence to what those people have been doing for a long time,” he says.
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