Education Gazette 100.6

24 MAY 2021 | VOL. 100 | NO. 6

Schools and iwi working together Bringing local history to life

Gateway to the workplace

Deep dive into data

Make every day

Outdoor Classroom Day

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Learning in nature Ako ki te taiao WIN A TEACHER WELLBEING PACK Find the survey link at www.doc.govt.nz/teachoutside

ISSU E 1 00.6

Contents

Spotlight on Education-Iwi partnerships

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Rotorua schools and iwi collaborate

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Dawn of a different Ministry-Iwi partnership

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16

Helping students beat the odds

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Deep dive into data benefits schools

26

New horizons for high-achieving wahine toa

30

Gateway to the workplace

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YES to student entrepreneurship

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22

40 44 48 52

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Bringing local history to life in Tauranga Moana

Manawatū student launches online debating platform Cultural festival heralds new hope for Pacific communities Game on!

Mentoring programme to develop local history curricula Wellbeing and safety in tertiary education

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24 MAY 2021 | VOL. 100 | NO. 6

On the cover Page 4: Ōwhata School students Nahnia Weko and Jemimah Te Pairi and other learners from their Kāhui Ako are benefiting from a strong relationship with their local iwi.

Schools and iwi working together Bringing local history to life

Gateway to the workplace

Deep dive into data

26

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E D UCATION GA ZET TE ON LI N E

Local curriculum in Tauranga Moana Education Gazette talks to members of Te Tai Whanake ki Tauranga Moana Kaitiaki Group about how schools and iwi are working together to create a localised curriculum resource that can be used across all schools, kura and early learning centres in Tauranga Moana. More on page 12.

Rubber ducks and game design

Students and teachers in Canterbury will have the opportunity to learn computer game design and enter the inaugural Rubber Duck Awards this year.

Tech21 Summit: inspiring ākonga into tech careers New Zealand’s technology workforce needs more diversity and one event is aiming to help achieve that – by appealing to young Māori, Pacific and female learners and showcasing the possibilities that await them if they pursue a tech career pathway.

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Powerful partnerships

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ometimes we set out with a clear theme for our issues, and sometimes a theme emerges organically.

It was the latter in the case of this edition.

The signing of the Kawenata (partnership agreement) between the Ministry of Education and three iwi signalled the start of a new way of working together.

This comes as we cover some inspiring school-iwi initiatives. One is our cover story – a group of Rotorua schools that are working with their local hapū for the benefit of their learners and communities. Another is a feature on how five Kāhui Ako across Tauranga Moana are working together with their three local iwi to develop a curriculum resource to support teaching and learning of Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories in a local context. We’ve captured a snapshot of their collaborative efforts in a video, hosted on our YouTube channel – be sure to check it out!

Filming underway at Mount Maunganui with the group leading an initiative to develop a local histories curriculum for their community.

Remember the Gazette’s content extends well beyond the print version, so make sure you’re signed up to receive our e-newsletter to keep on top of the latest content, resources, jobs and PLD opportunities. You can sign up at gazette.education.govt.nz/sign-up-for-thenewsletter.

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IWI

Rotorua schools and iwi collaborate Five Rotorua schools have seen an improvement in student achievement and attendance and they’re putting their progress down to the strong relationships they’ve built with local hapū and each other.

Ko Whakapoungakau te pae maunga: The Whakapoungakau Ranges feature in the pepeha of Ngati te Roro o Te Rangi and the local schools, including Ōwhata School, pictured here..

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n eastern Rotorua, there’s a small and socioeconomically diverse cluster of schools. Lynmore School, Ōwhata School and Rotokawa School feed into Mokoia Intermediate, which feeds into Rotorua Lakes High School.

They each have their own identity, strengths and challenges, but they share the same goals and aspirations for their community. And the glue that holds them all together is Ngāti Te Roro o te Rangi, a hapū of Te Arawa.

Following the return of the schools’ land to iwi in the 2008 Te Arawa settlement, the schools and iwi have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to have an iwi-appointed representative on their boards of trustees. Underpinning the formal agreement is a solid relationship between the schools, iwi and community, nurtured by years of trust and collaboration.

High trust relationships

When Education Gazette meets the five principals and kaumātua Paraone Pirika at Ōwhata School, their strong relationship is evident. The atmosphere is relaxed and respectful. They don’t miss an opportunity to poke fun at each other, yet they’re also quick to give credit where it’s due.

“We haven’t always had this lovely relationship,” says Lynmore School principal Lorraine Taylor. “We’re all bossy school principals and we’re used to fighting for our schools.

I think what working with hapū has done is take us away from our egos and our organisations. The glue that holds us together is the hapū, and hapū will also hold us to account.

Paraone will say, ‘It’s not about your school or your school – it’s about our kids, and you need to pull your heads in!’.

“So, we have to be told off every now and then and it’s a good measure of balance for us.”

For Paraone, it’s very straightforward: the adults need to work together in order to bring about a positive impact on the lives of the children. “All these tamariki are ours – regardless of what colour they are, regardless of what school they go to.”

He says with the return of the land came an obligation for hapū to work closely with the schools and the community. Having a voice on the schools’ boards of trustees is a vehicle for this.

Paraone is on the boards of Lynmore School and Rotokawa School. Other iwi representatives sit on the boards of the other schools.

Principal of Mokoia Intermediate School Rawiri Wihapi, says the Memorandum of Understanding has helped leverage the relationship between schools and iwi.

“The advantage for Mokoia having iwi representation on the board is that iwi have a seat at the table and then that’s the voice that goes back to the iwi. It’s covered for us.”

To Regan Williams, principal of Rotokawa School, the decision to have an iwi seat on the board is a “no-brainer”.

And the relationship extends beyond a formal governance arrangement.

“I use Paraone as a sounding board all the time,” says Regan.

Different challenges, common goal

The collaborative approach does not come at the expense of the schools’ separate identities, however.

“We’ve built a lot of connectivity between principals,

Regan Williams, Rawiri Wihapi, Bob Stiles, Paraone Pirika, Lorraine Taylor and Jon Ward (L-R) are excited to see the benefits of their schools and local hapū working together.

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High-trust relationships are central to the partnership between iwi and the schools in this Rotorua community.

across-school teachers, learning support coordinators, and iwi. But although we’re moving in the same direction, we’re at different stages within our schools. It’s certainly the path we’re on – we’re not there yet,” says Jon Ward, principal of Rotorua Lakes High School.

“It’s not a case of stepping on each other’s toes and saying we’re doing everything together – we’re not. We’ve got our own identities and challenges as schools.” Ōwhata School in particular, grappled with gang culture in its community. Social media amplified fighting in the street and other destructive behaviour.

“All those whānau are still here – nothing has changed.

It’s not like they leave everything at the gate – but they now get welcomed into the school and a chance to come in and share their aspirations for their kids,” says Bob Stiles, principal of Ōwhata School.

Meanwhile, Lynmore School faced a very different sort of challenge.

“There were some really ingrained attitudes,” says Lorraine. “Māori students were very much – and I hate saying this word but I’m going to – assimilated. So they left their ‘Māoriness’ at the gate and tried to fit in to being Pākehā students. I could see that it wasn’t working for them, I could see that internal conflict, their identity and culture not being honoured. And as a result, Māori achievement was incredibly disparate in our school.”

Paraone recalls what it used to be like walking into Lynmore School. “It was like, ‘Who’s this brown boy walking into the school?’ Things are way different now,” he says.

“By using four pou – whanaungatanga, whakapapa, wairuatanga, manaakitanga – we have been able to build these relationships. And we’re seeing attitudes change,” says Paraone.

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The shift in attitudes is reflected in the data.

“Our data tells us that Māori students are absolutely the same in terms of achievement in reading, writing, maths, science. I put that down to the way we worked with other schools, leveraging the local curriculum so it is contextual for Māori students so they feel valued and honoured. And the impact on their wellbeing is enormous,” says Lorraine.

Community-wide change

The schools aim to take a learner-focused, rather than school-focused, approach. Take learning support, for example.

“We have four learning support coordinators and we share them across all five schools, depending on where the greatest need is, as identified by the Learning Support Register,” says Rawiri.

There are signs of wider societal change taking place, as well. The schools and iwi are working with Police and local health and social agencies to support a community-wide approach.

Paraone says moving from a punitive approach to a focus on manaakitanga is having a positive effect.

“Manaakitanga works. One of the tell-tale signs is that our crime levels have gone down by 50 per cent. Family harm is also down.”

“Schools belong to their communities,” says Bob. “We’re public servants and we work for those communities, not the other way around. That’s what makes it work. So, whoever your community is, that’s who you make the story about.” * Lorraine Taylor is now principal of Silverstream School in Upper Hutt.

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Connecting with their community is a key focus at Ōwhata School.

“Schools belong to their communities. We’re public servants and we work for those communities, not the other way around. That’s what makes it work.”

Bob Stiles

24 May 2021

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He Puna-wai-nui, He Ia-rere-roa

Pupū ana te wai i tōna mātāpuna, he manawa ā-whenua e kore e mimiti; koia anō hoki te mātauranga e pupū ake ana i tōna ake puna. He ia roa e rere nei i te awa mai i te maunga, pēnei anō i te ia-rere-roa o te mātauranga me ngā akoranga ki ngā uri whakatupu, haere ake nei, haere ake nei.

The water bubbles up from its source, from the heart of the land which will never diminish; such too is the knowledge which surges forth from its fount. The long-lasting current flows within the river from the mountain, not unlike the everlasting flow of education and learning that goes on from one generation to the next.

The next generation: Ākonga from Ngā Taiātea Wharekura and Te Wharekura o Rakaumanga are at the centre of the Kawenata.

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IWI

Dawn of a different Ministry-Iwi partnership The signing of a Kawenata (partnership agreement) was a momentous occasion for Tūwharetoa, Raukawa and Waikato-Tainui (Ngā Iwi) and the Ministry of Education as they forge a different way of working together.

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unshine and the sounds of waiata added to the vibrant atmosphere at Waihi marae in the centre of the North Island, as representatives from Ngā Iwi, the Crown and the Ministry of Education gathered on 28 April 2021 to sign a Kawenata that breaks new ground in Iwi-Public Service relationships.

It was an early start for many, with members of Ngā Iwi and Ministry of Education staff assembling in Tūrangi at 4am and travelling in convoy to Waikato Iti for karakia and whakatō mauri o te kaupapa. Following whakatau and breakfast in Hinana at Waihi, a pōwhiri welcomed Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis and his official party onto the marae.

After speeches, Minister Davis and representatives from Ngā Iwi and the Ministry all signed the Kawenata.

“This is actually about the iwi and the Ministry sitting down as partners and working out what’s going to be best for ngā uri o e Ngā Iwi.” Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis

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Partnership based on equity

Signing the Kawenata, from left: Linda Te Aho (Chair, Waikato-Tainui), Dr Daryn Bean (Deputy Secretary, Māori Education), Tā Tumu Te Heuheu (Te Ariki, Tūwharetoa).

In his speech, Minister Davis described the Kawenata as a collective agreement to establish a perpetual Tiriti | Treaty partnership based on equity and rangatiratanga.

“This is actually about the iwi and the Ministry sitting down as partners and working out what’s going to be best for ngā uri o e Ngā Iwi,” said Minister Davis.

“This is about ensuring learners and tamariki can thrive and experience the world knowing and understanding who they are.”

The Kawenata outlines a more effective and streamlined way of the Ministry working with Ngā Iwi. Ngā Iwi will collaborate with hapū and whānau to develop a puna mātauranga – digital repository of mātauranga-ā-iwi (iwi knowledge), a marau-ā-iwi (curriculum framework), a range of rauemi (resources) to support the marau, and wānanga (PLD) at authentic learning spaces.

Having a seat at the table to help shape key policies and programmes that support ākonga Māori and their whānau is also a key priority for Ngā Iwi. Ngā Iwi agreed that the Kawenata will establish a framework of Mana Motuhake (self-determination), wellbeing and prosperity and demonstrate an effective partnership between the Crown and Ngā Iwi that is based on Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its principles.

A momentous occasion: Rangatahi, Minister Davis, iwi representatives and others gather together following the Kawenata signing.

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What it means for rangatahi Rangatahi from two wharekura were present at the signing of the Kawenata.

Head student Aorangi (Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Werewere) shares what this partnership means to him: Me kī, ko tēnei o ngā kaupapa kua āta tū i waenga i mātau, kua hou mai nei ki a mātau i tēnei o ngā rangi, ā, me kī, ā, he hua o roto i tēnei o ngā kaupapa nē, mō mātau te tae mai. Me kī, ko mātau ngā kura e rua o roto i ngā kura katoa te tae mai ki tēnei o ngā kaupapa. He kaupapa huhua o mātau te rangatahi, o mātau te āpōpō, o anamata. Nō reira, anei te hua te o tēnei o ngā kaupapa mā mātau. Ā, me kī, mōku ake, he rongo i ngā tātai whakapapa, kua tau mai nei i waenga i a mātau, ana, ko mātau, ko Raukawa, ko Waikato, ana, ko Ngāti Tūwharetoa, ka rongo mai nei i tā mātau Minita a Kelvin Davis me tōna whakapapa i konei. No reira, koinā tētahi mea mīharo mōku te rongo… nō reira, āe… tēnā mōku.

This event that has been organised for us today, for us to come here certainly has value for us. We here are from the two kura who were invited along with other schools to attend this event. We are today’s youth, and the future. Here we see the fruits of that in today’s event.

Personally, for me, hearing the different whakapapa connections. Here today amongst us, we have people from Ngāti Raukawa, Waikato, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, and hearing also our Minister, Kelvin Davis and his whakapapa links to here. Yes, that was a real highlight for me to hear that.

Head student Māhinarangi (Ngāti Māhanga Hourua) shared what she thought was the highlight of the day: Ā, ko tētahi mea kua kitea i waenganui i tēnei rā, ā, ko te whakawhanaungatanga o ngā Iwi katoa. Otirā, me ngā kura e rua kua tae mai nei i tēnei rā. Ā, ko tētahi atu mea kua kitea e au ko te kounga o te reo, ā, ko te reo Māori e rere ana i waenganui i a tātau katoa i te rangi nei.

One thing that we have witnessed today, has been the opportunity for different tribal groups to come together and mixing with each other. And also, the two kura who are here today. One other thing I have witnessed is the quality of the language – that is the Māori language, being spoken and heard everywhere today.

24 May 2021

Check out our new and updated resources: • Tuatara and the Sun • Our amazing Sun • The Sun’s amazing energy

LOCAL CU RRICU LU M

Bringing local history to life in Tauranga Moana Education Gazette talks to members of Te Tai Whanake ki Tauranga Moana Kaitiaki Group about how schools and iwi are working together to create a localised curriculum resource that can be used across all schools, kura and early learning centres in Tauranga Moana.

Members of Te Tai Whanake ki Tauranga Moana Kaitiaki Group at the base of Mauao.

Have your say

The Aotearoa New Zealand histories draft curriculum content is currently undergoing public consultation.

Consultation closes on 31 May. Please see the online version of this article for more information.

If you are interested in learning more about the draft curriculum content and placing feedback, you can contact AotearoaNewZealandHistories@education.govt.nz.

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he base of Mauao provides a neutral – and stunning – setting to meet with some of the people involved with building an ambitious new local curriculum initiative for the Tauranga Moana region.

The three local iwi are working with the region’s five Kāhui Ako to produce a new Te Ao Māori curriculum resource that can be used in all 67 schools and early learning centres, from Katikati in the north to Maketu in the south. The resource will encompass foundational te reo Māori, tikanga Māori, stories and history.

“It’s about every teacher having a resource they can go to that links them to the local history, to the national histories curriculum,” explains Ōtūmoetai Intermediate School principal Henk Popping, who heads up the group. “So a teacher at Omanu will be able to link into the resource and see what’s important to Omanu, for example.”

Underpinned by trust

Te Tai Whanake ki Tauranga Moana Kaitiaki is an initiative that has been years in the making, as the region’s Kāhui Ako have worked to strengthen their relationships with each other and local iwi and hapū.

Henk says the initiative is built on trust. “It’s about Kāhui Ako working with iwi through a genuine, transparent process of developing something for everyone.

“The Kāhui Ako and iwi used to sit at separate tables, but over time as our relationships have strengthened, iwi are now active members of each Kāhui Ako in Tauranga Moana.

It’s a relationship that has strengthened in recent years. Henk recalls a conversation from years ago that made him really think about the importance of genuine relationships.

When establishing the new Ōtūmoetai Kāhui Ako, Henk – as lead principal at the time – approached Te Wharekura o Mauao to join. “Tumuaki (at the time) Koa Douglas said to me, ‘Henk, we don’t want to be a ‘dial a pōwhiri’ and we don’t want to be the salad dressing’.”

“And I guess that’s set the scene for the journey that we’re embarking on now. It’s about a genuine relationship, a genuine partnership between the schools and the local community, particularly our iwi, hapū and our whānau.”

Arohanoa Mathews, education manager for Ngai Te Rangi, says the relationship is characterised by respect and transparency.

“Having iwi as part of this kaitiaki group is really about driving our vision, with our stories, and having that control of where they can go.

“I think one of the key things with this kaupapa is that iwi and hapū can have a voice, that we can normalise our world within mainstream schools and to support

24 May 2021

kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa schools.”

“I think that the majority of our people are still yet to find out who they are, where they belong, and learn our language,” says Arohanoa.

Different perspectives

Vianney Douglas, Ministry of Education manager for Western Bay of Plenty, says the timing has been perfect with the implementation of the Aotearoa New Zealand histories curriculum. It has meant the Ministry has been able to support with funding and become partners in the approach to developing local curriculum through supporting iwi and schools alongside TECT Trust.

“I think we’d like to see that children, regardless of which school they attend, have access to this rich narrative from this community,” she says.

Ken Ward, Tauranga Peninsula Kāhui Ako lead, says understanding the local context is important.

“Having iwi as part of this kaitiaki group is really about driving our vision, with our stories, and having that control of where they can go.”

“It’s too easy to just pick something off the shelf and teach that in the classroom and I just don’t think that has the authenticity. There’s more than one story in terms of Tauranga Moana so it’s really important that our students are getting all those different perspectives,” says Ken. Reg Blake, principal of Otepou School and education manager for Ngāti Pukenga, gives the example of the story of Mauao. Each local iwi has a different story relating to the maunga, he says. “We’re not trying to confuse the kids or the teachers but more to give them a different perspective.”

Reg says ensuring the sustainability of the project is essential.

“Having all our entities – iwi and schools – around the table for the bigger picture and for the long-term is of great importance.”

Ken agrees. “I think it’s going to help change perspectives of Aotearoa New Zealand long term. We’re going to have a generation of students coming through our schooling system who will truly understand pre-European settlement and that mana whenua story.

“I think it’s going to benefit all students. We all live in Aotearoa New Zealand – we need to understand the story of our country,” he says.

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Next steps

The project has been launched and now project leads are being recruited to get the curriculum development underway. The next step will be rolling out to the schools and early learning centres.

Toni Heke-Ririnui, education manager for Ngāti Ranginui, one of the three iwi involved, doesn’t anticipate this will be a problem.

“The biggest challenge initially was to get iwi on board – iwi are there. So now the challenge is to get kura on board. There’s a huge cry for this kind of kōrero, this kind of kaupapa, that it won’t take much at all,” she says.

Ken agrees. “A lot of our schools have been crying out for localised curriculum content, particularly from a Te Ao Māori lens – if we could have it tomorrow, we would.

“For us it’s about the true genuine partnership and relationship we have with iwi. It’s not just about schools taking – it’s about us reciprocating and giving back as well in terms of support for our local people.”

Vianney says this initiative helps show what’s possible for schools.

“I think schools do want to have a relationship with their local iwi and hapū, and for some it’s easy, but for some it’s hard – they don’t know where to start. And this gives an opportunity for making that connection. But it also gives an opportunity for iwi and hapū to engage directly with schools as well if they want to.”

Bigger than schools

Henk anticipates the benefits of the curriculum project will extend beyond schools to the wider community. “I know Tauranga City Council, TECT Trust and the like are keen to see us expand it even further,” he says.

TECT have supported Stage 1 of the project out of their Catalyst for Change fund.

TECT chairperson Bill Holland says the project appealed to TECT due to its potential for a far wider application than just school use.

Te Tai Whanake ki Tauranga Moana Kaitiaki Group is working to create a localised curriculum resource that can be used across all schools, kura and early learning centres across Tauranga Moana. Pictured here are Ken Ward (Tauranga Peninsula Kāhui Ako lead), Reg Blake (principal of Otepou School and education manager for Ngāti Pukenga), Henk Popping (principal, Ōtūmoetai Intermediate School), Vianney Douglas (Ministry of Education manager for Western BOP), Toni Heke-Ririnui (education manager for Ngāti Ranginui) and Arohanoa Mathews (education manager for Ngai Te Rangi).

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“It will give the schools a great platform to further develop and strengthen their relationships with local iwi and will support iwi in capturing and documenting their histories in Tauranga Moana to share with future generations as well as all local residents and visitors.

“We can see the potential for this information to be used in the city’s story-telling through tourism and arts and culture sectors – it’s just as much a development of our heritage and culture as an educational resource,” says Bill.

“It’s a significant milestone in the development of our community,” agrees Henk. “And it’s all about the future generations. The benefit is that regardless of the context for learning that a child is in, they will have a greater empathy and understanding of our local history, and they can also develop their own ability to live in Te Ao Māori.”

Watch: Curriculum partnership in action

Watch Te Tai Whanake ki Tauranga Moana Kaitiaki Group talk about how and why they are collaborating to create a local history curriculum resource for their community.

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24 May 2021

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Coihan, Brooklyn, Elayne and Te Aroha all enjoy the school garden.

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I NCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Helping students beat the odds Aurora College in South Invercargill embraces diversity and has a wide range of programmes, services and initiatives which aim to lower the barriers for students and help them reach their potential.

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urora College has a wide welcome mat, according to the Education Review Office.

There’s the Service Academy, a basketball development programme, a successful Gateway programme, a school community garden, a hauora suite with resident counsellor, careers advisor and various visiting health professionals and agencies – and more.

Second, third and fourth chances are big at the school which routinely accepts students excluded from other schools.

Families know that ORS students are well looked after. More recently, trans and fluid gender students have been finding their way to the high school.

Teachers stay

Education Gazette visited the Year 7– 13 school earlier this year and talked to some staff, many of whom have been at the school since it opened in 2005 on the site of Mount Anglem College.

Principal Robyn Hickman and the core of dedicated staff she has gathered around her are committed to making a difference.

“Relationships are really important here. I can turn a person right off at the interview by saying: ‘there are three things that are really important at Aurora and that’s relationships, relationships, relationships’. You can tell if people want to be part of this, or look like they’re going to run a mile,” says Robyn.

“We have great staff retention here – people tend to buy in and know why they’re here and are committed to the kids and their whānau. No-one pretends it’s easy here – I always say there will be lots of easier schools to teach at, but we’ve got a good Board of Trustees, we value our staff and they get good opportunities for PLD – it’s a nice environment,” she says.

Deputy principal Greg Reeves and assistant principal Brent Tagomoa have been at the school from the beginning.

Brent was a graduate teacher – he’d previously been a bouncer for eight years.

“What’s kept me here? It’s the values filtered down through Robyn and the Board of Trustees. We’re big with positive connections – relationships are massive here.

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Aurora College’s senior leadership team: Greg, Robyn and Brent.

“We want our kids to grow up knowing that they can make a difference in their own lives, as well as their community.”

Robyn Hickman “We’re not just about academic intelligence – there’s social, emotional, spiritual, physical – if we can be a part of enhancing all those different types of intelligence and the student comes out all right on the other side, that’s good enough for me,” says Brent.

With an oversupply of teachers in his homeland Australia after he finished teacher training, Greg eventually found his way to Southland.

“It’s good to see kids come out the other end who might have struggled when they were younger. A sense of achievement may just be getting through to Year 12 or 13. It may be getting a job after leaving school, an apprenticeship. For some it might be going to university. It’s good to see them grow into decent citizens, and we see that here.

“I remember one kid who used to hide under the tables when things would go wrong. He ended up going through Year 13 and going to university,” says Greg.

Community involvement

Year 9 dean Gareth Scott is passionate about the community programme he’s running, which has a focus around local curriculum.

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“We do a four-week rotation. We take a class down and serve soup in the streets of South Invercargill. They walk around the streets and offer people soup – the purpose is getting to know the people in their community, as well as being seen. We go through at least two big pots of soup every time we go down. Especially for the kids who don’t fit naturally into a classroom, they really enjoy getting out there and relating to people.

“Another group will go down to the local primary school and spend time reading and helping in classrooms.

They go into the local rest home and spend an hour and a half with residents. Lots of them were hesitant about how to communicate with the elderly, but were able to come out and say ‘wow, we did that’, or ‘I had a great conversation with an older person’,” he says.

The Year 9 students also help out at the local South Alive orchards.

“It’s a really good chance to get the kids out working in their own community – they can go back in their own time and see the benefit of what they’ve done,” says Gareth.

“We want our kids to grow up knowing that they can make a difference in their own lives, as well as their community,” adds Robyn.

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Academy role models

Sonny Rangitoheriri has been at Aurora College since 2011 and director of the Service Academy since 2015. The former semi-professional rugby player is softly spoken, but he runs a tight ship and the Year 12 and 13 students in the military-focused programme are courteous, confident and disciplined.

But it wasn’t always like that.

“In the past it’s probably been seen as a bit of a dumping ground for students who have learning or behavioural difficulties, but now it’s kind of changed to students who are some of the top students in the school. We’ve got the head boy and the head girl this year. People are seeing us as the leaders in the school – and out in the community as well,” he says.

Sonny reflects that it’s been a learning curve, but he wants to pass on his own love of school to the students in the hope they will share their passion for school with their own children.

“Four or five years ago I was having some tough times with students. I think the way I developed it was by focusing them on something there was a need for, but also it could focus them away from the trouble they were having,” he says.

While Education Gazette was talking to Sonny, students were doing drill practice in the background. They were preparing for a two-week induction camp at Burnham Military Camp, where they were awarded three trophies for outstanding performances.

Focus on leadership

As well as NCEA subjects and developing fitness and physical skills, there’s a strong focus on self-discipline and leadership at the Academy.

“We try to cover the life-skill side of things, the values and ethos that we have in our school and use the military things and education as a vehicle for them to develop discipline and teamwork,” says Sonny.

“For me in particular, over the last couple of years, it’s been more about developing leaders, self-confidence and transitioning out of school. It was a worry in the past because some of our students were leaving and going into unemployment.

“Leadership is important because I know that leaders in workplaces are usually the manager or supervisor and I want them to have a bit of a leg up when it comes to that leadership,” he says.

Year 13 students Zahn and Antonio both credit the Academy with pointing them towards good futures. Antonio is head boy and interested in joining the Police; Zahn transferred from another school and says even his mum has noticed a change in him.

“I have learned life skills, communication, teamwork, confidence, self-discipline, leadership. We strive for excellence in everything we do. Last year I went through a bit of a rough patch and this Academy has just built my self-esteem. I love it,” says Zahn.

Antonio was selected for a leadership course at last year’s Induction Camp at Burnham.

“The Service Academy has given me help, leadership and hope for the future,” he says.

24 May 2021

Ashton and Carl harvest a bumper tomato crop.

Sonny Rangitoheriri has been at Aurora College since 2011 and is director of the Service Academy.

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Students at the Service Academy are seen as role models at the school.

Support and acceptance

School counsellor Vicky Fox has huge admiration for the students at Aurora College, whom she describes as ‘extraordinary and resilient’. Vicky and colleague Sally Jordan work out of links@aurora, which offers a wide range of wellbeing services to students at the school.

“The Year 7 and 8s love coming here – it’s special I suppose; they get seen individually by someone. As they get older most kids will just email me to make an appointment,” says Vicky.

Various agencies, a physiotherapist, a social worker and a health nurse all operate out of the links@aurora suite of rooms alongside Vicky, Sally and another part-time counsellor.

Sally describes her role as triaging visitors to the centre and she says she has got very good at reading body language. She is also responsible for career guidance.

“A lot of students are very unsure when they come to me. There’s a big push at the moment on trades. Looking at their profile sheets – especially the Year 12s – there are a lot of students who want to go into trades. That’s fantastic because it’s attainable for a lot of them,” she says.

The school has a culture of accepting and believing in young people, says Vicky.

“Family challenges are a big aspect for most of the young people I work with.

“I work really closely with other agencies: I’m on the advisory panel for Oranga Tamariki. Their focus has shifted more to making sure that people stay in families and that families are getting supported – wellbeing is a big focus now.

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“We seem to have a lot of young Rainbow people coming to Aurora who haven’t had good experiences elsewhere but they are finding it is good here for them – they can be themselves,” says Vicky.

“One of the new students said it was good that nobody ‘cared that he was transgender’. That’s what we want for our kids – that they can be really accepting of diversity and embrace it,” says Robyn.

Sporting strategy

“Robyn is at the heart of how we tick, how we roll, our culture and all the good things that are going on. She’s strategic – she knows the people who are going to fit here,” says Vicky.

Part of that strategy is to employ former sports people, initially as teaching assistants. They are role models the students can look up to.

Sonny was one such hire and former Southland Shark Dan Peck is another. He’s working as a teaching assistant, training to be a teacher and running a very popular basketball development programme.

In 2020, Aurora College fielded an A-grade team for the first time.

“Our goal was to be the first school team from Aurora to ever win a senior A basketball programme. It was a huge goal – we won three and nearly won a couple more. By the end of the season, they had a whole new belief about themselves,” says Dan. And for Dan, building confidence and self-esteem is what it’s all about.

“Students have to maintain a standard in the classroom

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to be able to attend the basketball. We make it fun and they love it and it’s a real team culture and they don’t want to let the team down, so it appears to be working,” explains Dan. “I just love seeing the kids here understand potential and reach it. I’ve worked in all sorts of schools just through basketball coaching, but there’s just something about doing it here that pulls on the heart strings.”

This year, the school’s Board of Trustees has introduced zero fees for sports for the first time and sports coordinator Anna Crosswell says demand has been so high that she’s run out of uniforms.

The school’s Sports Club raises money to help students who may not be able to participate in sport.

“We set the club up in 2014 to cover all of our sports. We’re raising the money to enable students to participate and continue in sport – it helps with fees, equipment, travel costs. We also do this to get them to understand what being part of a sports club is – it’s not just turning up and playing,” says Deon Hourston, who runs the club.

Welcome mat gets wider

There’s so much good mahi happening at Aurora College that Education Gazette couldn’t possibly cover it all. We’ve written about another initiative in Issue 2, 2020 – an accelerating English language class for older Colombian students – that Robyn welcomed with open arms.

“A lawyer said to me ‘You’re at Aurora’. She said ‘I just want you to know that a lot of people here think that you people down there are doing a really good job’,” says Greg.

“There’s still a perception in Invercargill that South Invercargill is really rough. I probably did dwell on that to start with, but we don’t dwell on that anymore,” adds Robyn.

Student kōrero

Education Gazette asked some students: What’s different about Aurora College? » The teachers are kinder, friendlier, and treat you like adults. Contrary to rumours, I have seen less rule breaking here. Cait, Year 13. » Teachers are more accepting and more supportive with schoolwork. The school acts quickly when a situation arises. It doesn’t ponder or stretch out issues. Ash, Year 13. » The teachers are always there to help you when you need it, even if they have to push and push you. Last, but not least, they never give up on you, even if you’ve given up on yourself. Dejohnae, Year 11. » I have ADHD. I feel pretty good because now I’m accepted. Teachers have interacted with me, which has made me trust them. Anton, Year 10. » Opportunities like the Garden Club and Junior Service Academy make me feel good and have boosted my confidence. Carl, Year 10. » The teachers are very caring and willing to help whenever. Students at this school are caring of each other and friendly, as some students have it quite hard. All up, Aurora is very caring. Keegs, Year 10.

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24 May 2021

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Participants in the TLRI data literacy project with (middle left to right) Professor Bronwen Cowie, Dr Suzanne Trask and Dr Frances Edwards.

DATA LITERACY

Deep dive into data benefits schools A research project to build data literacy is already seeing teachers in the Pukekohe Kāhui Ako make use of a rich source of information.

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he TLRI (Teaching and Learning Research Initiative) project which has been running for two and a half years is exploring the development of teachers as data coaches to develop a culture of proactive data use, says across-school teacher, Nicola Gibson.

The Pukekohe Kāhui Ako is working on the project with researchers Professor Bronwen Cowie, Dr Frances Edwards and Dr Suzanne Trask, from the Wilf Malcolm Institute of Educational Research at the University of Waikato.

“The three people at the university bring a wealth of knowledge. They let us take the project in the way we would like to do it, but they support us with the research, readings and as critical friends asking questions and offering suggestions,” she says.

Nicola, who describes herself as ‘that crazy maths and data person’ who believes in the benefits of data literacy, has an accounting background and likes things to balance.

“Part of my job is that I collect the data, collate and analyse it and then present the aggregated data back to the governance group.”

Action plan

Six out of the 14 primary and intermediate schools from the Kāhui Ako are involved in the TLRI data literacy project. An action plan involving all 14 schools was developed at the end of 2020 to deal with some of the data collection and action issues.

“We are now moving on to every school in our Kāhui Ako getting involved and using the Learning Progression Framework to support moderation and consistency of judgement across our schools,” says Nicola.

The Kāhui Ako is working through four key areas.

These are: » An agreement about what they believe curriculum expectations to be. » Ensuring all schools provide comprehensive and accurate data that can be used within and across schools. » All schools using PAT testing in mathematics and reading comprehension to better understand what dips in achievement are showing. » For moderation and consistency of assessment methods, the Curriculum Progress Tools (the Learning Progression Framework and Progress and Consistency Tool) are being used.

Data and trends

By the end of 2020, all of the 14 schools had recognised how PATs (Progressive Achievement Tests) provide them with good reporting and enable drilling down into students’ information. This year they are all using PAT online reporting.

Data from the CPTs and PATs is used to identify learning needs and the next steps of teaching. The 2020 achievement data from almost 3,500 students across

“ If you are going to put a child through a test, you need to make sure the child benefits from that. The data isn’t an end in itself, it’s actually just the beginning of ‘what am I going to do?’”

Nicola Gibson

24 May 2021

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the 14 schools highlighted common trends, says Nicola.

“We really analysed our PAT data and found some very clear issues. For example, we identified subtraction as being an issue, so that is why we are doing additive thinking,” says Nicola.

Shared understanding

Across-school moderation has been identified as being important for the Pukekohe Kāhui Ako, particularly for consistency for children transferring between schools.

A shared definition of what data literacy is and how this supports the culture of data use within a school has been developed.

“As part of the TLRI project, the smaller group of schools, who are all part of the moderation project, have created a Data Conversation Protocol with the support of the university. We’ve come up with certain language and ways of talking about data that we all agree on and how we deal with it.

“It’s helped clarify a lot of thinking about what we are seeing and what we need to do. If you had that child in your class and he/she demonstrated that thinking, what would you do; what would be your next step to support that child, or group of children, to get over that jump and to get into that next set?”

Data coaching

Ten teachers in the TLRI group are each coaching a teacher in their school using ‘mini’ teacher inquiries.

“We’re supporting teachers to dig very deeply into their classroom data, to select something very specific.

For instance, we might have identified subtraction when kids have to go through a decade – for example 15 minus 7 and how do they get through the decade.

Then what teaching sequences would you go through to support that child. Then at the end, asking did that make a change, how did that help my child, what would I do now?” explains Nicola.

Twice a term, the TLRI group works with a lecturer from the University of Waikato.

“The first meeting is an unpack where we really look at what the progressions are telling us. Then we provide all our schools with some examples of activities that they can do with their students. They got kids to do them so that when we do moderation, we use examples from across our schools of real children doing activities which we then moderated against the LPF.” Nicola says ethical considerations are taken into account. “We don’t talk about individual schools or students, we only talk about aggregated data, so the trust as far as that is concerned has never been an issue,” she explains.

Nicola Gibson is passionate about data literacy.

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Real change

Nicola acknowledges that the journey hasn’t always been smooth sailing, but she says the vision is coming to fruition.

“If you are going to put a child through a test, you need to make sure the child benefits from that. The data isn’t an end in itself, it’s actually just the beginning of ‘what am I going to do?’

“A lot of teachers feel confident to look at their data and understand it now. I can already see through the feedback we’re getting at the moderation and unpack meetings, the excitement of teachers seeing how they could use data – that’s been really exciting.”

Converted to data

Renel Fassom teaches a Year 7 class at Pukekohe Intermediate School. She taught in South Africa for two

years and is in her third year of teaching in New Zealand.

“Coming from South Africa, we did examinations, so the new testing methods I was exposed to in my first year were foreign to me. Before attending data coaching I used to look at the end results of tests without delving in deeper.

“My coach Hayley Smith was amazing. She guided me into interpreting and understanding the data from test sheets. I gained an understanding that ‘yes’ scores are important, but what was more important was to look at each individual question and how the students answered.

“Hayley guided me into studying the students’ areas of strength and their areas of weakness. We were then able to come up with mini-inquiries and class sessions that specifically targeted learning areas where they lacked confidence. By the third term we saw a significant improvement in the learners’ understanding,” says Renel.

Visit this article online to read more about this TLRI research project.

Project kōrero Dr Frances Edwards from the Wilf Malcolm Institute of Educational Research at the University of Waikato talks about the data literacy project.

What are your concerns about teachers and data use?

While teachers and schools have access to an increasing range of data, the challenge is using the data to support student learning outcomes.

Data is often complex and rich, and teachers need approaches/habits/processes for making sense of the data. We think it is important for teachers to make optimal use of data to inform their teaching.

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free ONLINE TEACHER SUPPORT

The development of teacher data literacy will allow teachers to zoom in to consider individual students’ or small group data, and zoom out to consider larger data sets including data across schools, in order to make better-founded teaching and learning decisions.

Why is data use important for educators?

Data is information on what students know and can do, as well as attendance, etc. It gives us insight into how to extend/help students and helps teachers know their students better.

By teachers coaching their peers we hope to develop a school culture of data use – all schools and all teachers across the Kāhui Ako making productive use of the data they collect.

This project aims to understand how to develop teacher data literacy as a process that involves generating and using data to inform teacher action with classes and individual students, and consideration of the implications of student data collated across a Kāhui Ako.

24 May 2021

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Moana Tautua teaching tamariki te reo Māori through poi and waiata at Te Papapa School in Onehunga.

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TEACH I NG PRACTICE

New horizons for high-achieving wahine toa Moana Tautua is always looking for a new challenge on the horizon, and is aware that she carries the hopes and dreams of her tīpuna and whānau as she paddles her waka through her teaching career.

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he mother of four tamariki and wife of a pastor has been awarded NEiTA (National Excellence in Teaching Award)’s inaugural Early Career Award.

After almost 15 years working behind the scenes for media companies, Moana (Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui and Cook Islands) decided to take up teaching. Her path at university was awash with awards and scholarships, including a prestigious TeachNZ Kupe scholarship and recognition as the top second-year student and Māori student, plus she graduated as Senior Scholar at the University of Auckland.

“I knew when I went into studying that it was a huge sacrifice for my whānau, so I really wanted to make sure that I honoured them and what they were also sacrificing with me. I always knew I was going to work hard.

“I’ve always been raised to give everything your best – it’s all or nothing. I come from a whānau where I am just one of many who are successful in their own professions. What I have achieved is simply a reflection of those who have raised and supported me along the way.”

Restoring mana

Moana grew up in Dunedin, where she was raised by her koro, who did not teach her, nor want her to learn, te reo Māori.

“I remember when I was five and starting school, my koro said, ‘Don’t speak any Māori at school or the teachers will smack you’. He still carried a lot of fear and mamae because of his own experiences at school.

“When I went to high school, where te reo Māori was a subject option, my koro said I was not allowed to learn the language because it would do me no good in this world. He told me to learn te reo Pākehā, as that would ‘help me survive’.

She secretly chose the subject anyway. “I distinctly remember the first moment my koro heard me speak in te reo Māori. He came to watch me when I was competing at the Manu Kōrero speech competitions and I had entered in the English section.

Before my speech, I did my pepeha and mihimihi in te reo, which my uncle had taught me.

“My grandad was sitting in the audience crying his eyes out. He couldn’t believe I was standing there saying our pepeha and that it was okay to do that,” she remembers.

Now in her fifth year of teaching, Moana can notch up some significant achievements that help to honour the mana of her koro and whānau and invigorate the mana of the tamariki she teaches.

24 May 2021

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Moana with Year 3 ākonga Nathanael, Aurora and Rosa.

Bilingual unit

After three years of teaching at her first school, Farm Cove Intermediate, Moana saw the opportunity to establish a junior (Years 1–3) bilingual unit, Te Rito Pōtiki, at Te Papapa School in Onehunga. The junior bilingual unit was opened at the beginning of 2019.

The kura values bilingual education and adopts an additive approach. Moana says principal Robyn Curry is a key driver behind supporting the teaching and use of te reo Māori, with all teachers expected to be teaching at Level 4a in the subject.

While she teaches The New Zealand Curriculum, Moana says a lot of instruction in her classroom is delivered in te reo Māori. She aspires to play her part in revitalising te reo for her pupils and their whānau.

Lifting wairua

“I think the bilingual units in my kura make it easier for our whānau Māori in a sense that they have a teacher who understands them and their child. There are a lot

of things that feel familiar without needing to explain them. I know that as a teacher, everything I do seems normal to them – there is this common language and understanding between us.

“I can see the pride that the parents have when they see their kids embracing and sharing their Māoritanga.

It’s almost this vicarious desire for your kids to have and live out what was taken from you. It’s seeing them reconnect to their tīpuna,” she says.

Moana has observed significant shifts in the tamariki in her class, where they have accelerated academically.

“I remember when I was teaching a reading lesson in te reo Māori, one boy finally managed to read through a whole page perfectly and when he had finished, he looked at me and asked, ‘Whaea Moana, does this mean I can read in Māori now?’

“When I said yes, his whole wairua lifted. It was almost as if his tīpuna were shining through his eyes.

You can’t explain these things, but man, it was like my tīpuna were greeting his in that moment!”

“My grandad was sitting in the audience crying his eyes out.

He couldn’t believe I was standing there saying our pepeha and that it was okay to do that.”

Moana Tautua

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Connecting with whānau

When Covid-19 reached the shores of Aotearoa, Moana says she had been watching what was happening overseas and leapt into action to develop a digital learning programme for her tamariki and their whānau.

She was new to the school and used her strengths in digital technology to build relationships during Level 4 lockdown.

“I quickly built a website, started up a YouTube channel and made tutorials and videos to include in my daily Zoom sessions. I also set up a Facebook page because I knew that for my particular community, I had to consider all the possible barriers and try to provide alternative options.

“Most parents are frequently on Facebook and it doesn’t require them needing credit to message me back.

It’s one of the tools from our lockdown kete that we’ve kept going as a window to our classroom. I post every day and my parents are able to message me through Facebook. They are engaging all the time, which has been incredible.”

With the many challenges her parents and students faced throughout lockdown, Moana tried to ensure they would see value in her remote learning programme. She set up multiple platforms and phoned whānau about linking up to Zoom lessons on any device.

“I knew I had one chance to capture my audience, or they wouldn’t see the need to engage with my learning each day.

“From my very first lesson I included karakia, waiata, a te reo Māori lesson and a daily hands-on challenge. I made sure that all my tasks were things my tamariki could complete on their own, but were flexible enough for other family members to engage with.

“I noticed from that first lesson that tamariki and their whānau were consistently engaging with the learning and appreciated the face-to-face contact with each other when we were all under strict lockdown conditions,” she says.

New challenges

Moana describes herself as a waka that will always seek new horizons. From term 2, she has taken up a new challenge at St Cuthbert’s Junior School in Epsom.

“My next endeavour is to go into a completely different community and continue to share my cultural strengths and skill sets there.

“Te Papapa is a beautiful kura that is rich in culture and a sense of belonging. After I leave, they will still have three Māori teachers paddling the waka for te ao Māori. For me to be able go into a kura like St Cuthbert’s and take all that I am with me, I believe, is the next natural step,” she says.

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24 May 2021

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E DUCATION TO EM PLOYM ENT

Gateway to the workplace Gateway programme work placements at a local IT company have resulted in jobs for two Wellington High School students. The school and business are both delighted with the outcome, and for the two new employees, it’s a dream come true.

The Gateway programme helped Flynn Roberts find a job he loves.

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F

lynn Roberts didn’t have a plan beyond getting through Year 12, but a work placement arranged through his school’s Gateway programme changed his life beyond his dreams.

At just 17, Flynn now works full-time as a technician at the Wellington headquarters of The Laptop Company, a nationwide computer company. He loves the job – and can scarcely believe it’s his.

“I was very excited when I got my contract. Doing work experience here was so much fun, and now I’m actually getting paid for it.”

Smooth transition to the workforce

This time last year, Flynn was a Year 12 student at Wellington High School who had “no clue” what he was going to do beyond school.

At around the same time, The Laptop Company approached the school wanting to set up work experience opportunities for senior students interested in an IT career.

“We didn’t enter the partnership with the specific goal of hiring students – it was about getting more people engaged in the IT industry and the opportunity for personal growth for our team. It adds real value to us as an organisation,” says The Laptop Company chief executive Mark Mayo. “We wanted to give something back to the community.”

After meeting with Wellington High School’s careers team, The Laptop Company created a two-week work experience opportunity for one student. Flynn, who was studying computer science and built computers as a hobby, was chosen from several applicants. With the guidance of team leader Matt Pickering, he started learning how to repair laptops and complete accompanying paperwork.

“I was expecting Flynn to be quite green, however he blew me away with his technical knowledge,” says Matt.

“I asked my boss if we could hire him when we next had

an opening. He’s very quick to pick things up, he’s a hard worker and he told me that the work was exactly what he wanted to do.”

Flynn himself was happily surprised by how much he enjoyed the workplace setting. Diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), he had long found school challenging, and worried that he’d struggle to manage in an office environment. “But I’m perfectly fine with it; much better than I thought I would be,” says Flynn.

“It’s a great team here, they understand that I’m new to the workforce and the industry, and they’re open to helping me even with simple things like email. Gateway has been so valuable for me and I can’t believe how lucky I’ve been.”

Life-changing experience

The company’s second Gateway placement later in 2020 also culminated in a hiring, this time of Year 13 student, Quentin Smith.

“All I knew about workplaces was what I’d seen on TV and in movies but it’s not like that here, it’s way nicer,” says Quentin.

“Gateway gave me the chance to experience a workplace where I could focus on learning rather than worrying that I was doing everything right. School talked me through how to do an interview, what to ask and what to wear. At school I wore shorts and a T-shirt every day and I had no idea what I should wear to work. Luckily, I had some pants and a collared shirt which I’d worn to a funeral and that seemed to be right.”

Before his Gateway placement, Quentin had hoped to secure an electrician apprenticeship so he could have a trade like his father, who is a plumber.

“I was shocked when The Laptop Company offered me a job as a provisioning technician. My life has changed dramatically, and it’s been great; everyone here is so kind and helpful,” says Quentin.

“Gateway has been so valuable for me and I can’t believe how lucky I’ve been.”

Flynn Roberts

24 May 2021

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Quentin Smith, Mark Mayo, Flynn Roberts and Matt Pickering (L-R).

The ultimate result

Quentin and Flynn’s transition to the workplace is “the ultimate result” to a Gateway placement, according to Wellington High School’s Gateway administrator, Paula Willis.

“They were punctual, worked hard and communicated well so when positions became available the employer automatically thought of them instead of advertising. I always tell our students that there are a lot of bonuses to Gateway – the experience, the credits, and gaining a reference from an employer. If you work hard and shine, you might get a job offer,” says Paula.

Gateway interest is high at the 1,400-student school.

Last year 66 students joined the programme and of those, 20 were offered paid or voluntary work.

The programme is available to all students with a minimum of 82 per cent attendance. “If they don’t have that I’ll say, ‘Let me see good attendance for three weeks then we’ll look at it for you’. They need to be reliable, good communicators and enthusiastic. I want students who are keen – I’m not going to place students who don’t want it,” Paula says.

Paula and her colleagues work with students to prepare their resumes, practise interview skills and dress appropriately for the workplace.

“We’re just amazed that out of this we have two new employees and I think it shows the quality of young people we have in New Zealand,” says Mark. “As soon as we had

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opportunities we thought of Quentin and Flynn because they’ve absolutely proven themselves to be more than capable of working in our business.”

Benefits to business and young people

Mark says the time commitment required to be a Gateway employer has been surprisingly small, something he attributes to the school’s thorough preparation.

“The students are actually very capable which means they’ve been able to add value to us straight away. You do need to set up good processes and have a clear plan of what the student will be doing, but when you have done it once it’s just a case of tweaking the programme depending on the student’s interests.

“The idea is that if they are here for two or three weeks, they’re not just shadowing someone, they’re actually a productive member of our team. We have a plan to educate them, teach them some new skills, some processes specific to the tasks they will be doing and then let them actually do it.

“I think the intangible benefits for our staff in feeling like we’re giving something back and that we’re involved in a programme that is so positive, completely outweighs any impact of time commitment. It is about so much more than identifying talented young people; if we hadn’t employed them it was still a great experience and one that we’re keen to continue and expand. Even if the student doesn’t get a job with us at the end of it, those two or three

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weeks need to be very valuable. They need to walk away with skills and experience and confidence. If they feel like they can walk into a work environment and be productive and positive from day one then hey, we’ve done well,” says Mark.

Mark encourages other businesses to reach out to Gateway.

“I’m singing about it from the rooftops because it’s such a positive thing for New Zealand. If you’re a business, just talk to the Ministry of Education or pick a school and start the conversation. The team at Wellington High School has been so welcoming and supportive that this all has happened just from that opening conversation.”

What is Gateway?

Gateway is a partnership between school, student and business; a formal learning arrangement set in a workplace. It is designed to support the transition of young people from school to employment through on-the-job learning and assessment.

While on work placements, students have their learning assessed against unit standards on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF), which are integrated into their current programme of study thus providing a broader range of achievement for NCEA. Students can achieve specific vocational skills and make significant progress towards industry-recognised qualifications.

Quentin Smith’s Gateway work placement at The Laptop Company exceeded his expectations.

All state secondary, state-integrated secondary, and partnership schools/ kura hourua with students at Year 11 and above can apply for Gateway funding from the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) to meet costs incurred by arranging and managing workplace learning.

For employers, Gateway provides opportunities to recruit new talent within the community and to contribute to local employment needs.

For more information, go to tec.govt.nz/gateway.

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SLIC is an interactive card game which aims to encourage more Kiwis to use New Zealand Sign Language.

ENTERPRISE

YES to student entrepreneurship Business is booming for the student enterprises that took out the top three awards in last year’s The Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) – and the learning opportunities have been priceless.

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akuranga College’s SLIC NZ was named Company of the Year in last year’s Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) for an interactive card game featuring Aotearoa’s three national languages: English, te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. The product also won the National Excellence Award for social enterprise by encouraging more Kiwis to use sign language.

Four out of the six Year 13 students involved in SLIC NZ are now studying business at university. David Dunlop, head of business studies at Pakuranga College, says this wouldn’t have been on the radar for at least two of the students, who took business studies for the first time in Year 13, and loved it.

It’s the fourth year David had teams enter the competition, which attracts entries from more than 4,500 students each year.

“We do business studies at Levels 1, 2, and 3, and it’s only at Level 3 that you join the Young Enterprise Scheme for a year, you enter a team in the competition, and you do the challenges. We keep it in the back pocket to provide a bit more impetus at Level 3, and they give it a really good crack,” says David.

He says encouraging six or seven teams in a classroom is a big role for the teacher, and it’s a big ask for students as well.

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“It’s hard because these kids have to create and run their own start-up business in less than 12 months – it’s very difficult to do.”

Self-directed learning

The SLIC NZ team are continuing to run the business, have recently got a trademark and are launching an alphabet pack using sign language. CEO Ned Verrall says calendars and posters are also in the pipeline.

“Their heads are in the right place. They want to grow the brand and get more Kiwis using New Zealand Sign Language, which I think is a fantastic mission statement. The team’s reason for the business is very genuine – they want to support their community.

“If these kids want to achieve the sorts of things that the Young Enterprise Scheme sets them up to achieve, they really have to go out there on their own, self-direct themselves, figure out what needs to be done and essentially learn on the go and learn from those mistakes.

“The biggest benefit would be the personal growth – the incidental, organic growth that they go on through running a business – and having the mindset of trying to do well with it,” says David.

Problem solving helps acne

Helping young people deal with acne led a Year 12 group of Bayfield High School students to research and source a natural product, which studies show can considerably relieve the problem. Abalro Health won second place in the YES competition with their dehydrated product made from barberries.

“We’re all teenagers, and we all suffer from acne ourselves, and Alex, our production director, has done some research about barberries which studies have found can relieve acne by about 43 per cent in a single month. He tried to buy it in New Zealand but couldn’t, so when we came along to the Young Enterprise Scheme, we decided that we could be the first people to introduce it to the market, so here we are now!” says CEO Robert Donohoe.

“We import the barberries from Iran, then dehydrate them and crush them into a powder – our consumers prefer it in a powder form because then it’s easy to add to smoothies, yoghurt, muesli.

“It’s been really educational for all of us about the challenges of international importing, and now exporting as well. It has been very interesting, and we have learnt a lot more about the technical side of running a business,” he says.

Key skills learnt include dealing with suppliers, communication, talking to the media and business leaders, public speaking, doing marketing and promotion pitches, running spreadsheets, and keeping track of costs, explains Robert.

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Top: Pakuranga College’s SLIC team: Riley Tibbits, Kara Levick, Ned Verrall, Mason Szucs, Georgia Harvey and Harry Glover were YES’s Company of the year.

Middle: Bayfield High School’s Abby Green, Robert Donohoe and Alex Livingstone won second place in the YES competition.

Bottom: Owyn Aitken and Hadi Daoud from Aotea College’s Remojo Tech came third in the YES competition. Their story was featured in Issue 4 of the​​Gazette.

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Pipeline into business and enterprise The Young Enterprise Trust has been around for about 40 years, and its objective hasn’t changed: to ignite curiosity and an entrepreneurial spirit among students throughout Aotearoa.

With a variety of programmes, Young Enterprise works with 85 per cent of secondary schools.

Young Enterprise is focused on creating a more prosperous New Zealand through enterprise, and works with schools across the country to help students learn about business and entrepreneurship. It begins with resources for teachers at the primary and junior secondary level. Then there’s the BP Business Challenge, a rangatahi challenge for Year 10 and 11 students, and a teen parent unit challenge.

The Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme is a business experience programme where senior high school students run a real business. Each year, 21 companies make it to the national final.

“We describe ourselves as a pipeline into the business ecosystem,” says Jessikah Cresswell, alumni programme manager.

“Recently, it’s become much more apparent that your soft skills are really important – what they call employability skills. Things you may not learn in the classroom, like communication and resilience, are really important for people, not just for entrepreneurs. But no matter what path they take, we think they are better prepared to thrive in business and life,” she says.

GRIT AND INNOVATION It takes grit and dedication to reach the regional finals, says Jessikah.

“We’ve identified that regional winners have done one of two things, if not both. They have executed their business well or have an innovative product.

“YES is quite accessible to most students because they can do a range of business ventures from simple to complex, but they get the same learning from what they’re doing. They don’t have to be the most innovative, future-forward ideas; it’s about what they learn and take from that experience.

Many entrepreneurs have many failed attempts

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before they find success, so for some students, YES is about failing forward – they are already on that pathway,” explains Jessikah.

ALUMNI GIVE BACK With the Young Enterprise Scheme attracting more than 4,000 students (more than 1,000 YES companies) in recent years, it became apparent that support needed to go beyond YES. The Trust’s alumni programme has been going from strength to strength.

“We have quite a big alumni programme. We have students who do the programme and love it so much, they want to stay engaged. They volunteer with us and may mentor current students because they want to see that students are getting the same value.”

A Young Enterprise survey found that over 40 years, YES has been producing entrepreneurs with at least 263 companies created, of which 160 are still active. These companies have created between 2,700–4,600 jobs.

Alumni-founded companies still running include Girl Boss (Alexia Hilbertidou), and Sarah Wixon, Maggie Peacock and Zoe Rookes, with Bayuble, aiming to develop a biodegradable alternative to plastic labels on fruit.

SURVEY RESULTS An alumni survey found that 85 per cent of participants said they would recommend YES to other students and 69 per cent said the programme positively influenced their decision-making process after school.

Top three business skills developed: » Decision making » Marketing » Business planning Top three soft skills developed: » Teamwork » Communication » Problem solving

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Success story

The three students in the Abalro team are now in Year 13, with two of them planning to study business at university, and Robert interested in studying medicine. With growing demand, some production of Abalro, which is now stocked in 18 retail stores nationwide, has been contracted out.

Abalro Health is one of five YES businesses competing for a place at Expo 2020 in Dubai in 2022. The team is part of the second cohort of the Global Kaitiakitanga Project, an initiative developed in partnership with New Zealand at Expo 2020, culminating in a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style pitch in September. The programme aims to develop the participants into global citizens, participating in the global economy through New Zealand’s unique lens of kaitiakitanga.

And does the product work?

“YES! University studies have shown that barberries can relieve acne by up to 43 per cent in the first month of use; we found similar results for our product. It’s been incredibly useful for the three of us, and we’ve had very positive feedback from lots of our customers, with some people saying it’s the best product they’ve ever used,” says Robert.

“ The biggest benefit would be the personal growth – the incidental, organic growth that they go on through running this business.”

David Dunlop Addressing the digital divide

Remojo Tech from Aotea College came third in the YES competition. Their involvement in Recycle a Device, a social enterprise that aims to address digital inequity and gender disparity, build skills and create opportunities for fellow students, was featured in Issue 4 Education Gazette: RAD: Computer recycling scheme makes a difference. To date, Remojo Tech has worked with dozens of students nationwide training them to repair and refurbish more than 100 devices, with an aim to put over 2,000 laptops in the hands of students in 2021.

“We’re keen to continue our involvement in the tech and social enterprise sectors – namely through Remojo Tech, which will continue to be a member of Recycle a Device (RAD); providing training to schools throughout 2021 and beyond,” Hadi Daoud, told Education Gazette.

The founders of Remojo Tech are currently at university studying a mixture of commerce and computer science, hoping to continue their contributions to the tech equity space.

24 May 2021

Abalro is made from dried barberries.

Visityoungenterprise.org.nz or scan this QR code for more information about Young Enterprise.

To find out more about the three winning companies, check out their websites: slicnz.com

abalro.mystorbie.com

remojo.tech

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ENTREPREN EU RSH I P

Manawatū student launches online debating platform Last year’s Covid-19 lockdown gave many people the time and opportunity to try new things. For 16-year-old John Hopcroft it was a chance to build a global, online debating platform from scratch. Education Gazette talks to John about how he got started, how things are going and where to next.

John Hopcroft created an online debating platform during lockdown.

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he Cosmos Championship is an online platform that brings together teenagers from all around the world to engage in debates through Zoom.

Students register on their own or with their friends, then they have the opportunity to debate every week through mini-tournaments called leagues.

There are now 3,500 people signed up from 90 countries, as well as a global leadership team of 56 – all of whom are aged 20 or younger.

Putting lockdown to good use

John, a student at Palmerston North Boys’ High School, combined creative thinking, down time due to the pandemic, and a passion for public speaking to develop the debating platform.

“I began developing The Cosmos Championship on the ninth day of lockdown after feeling unsatisfied with

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wasting the previous week binge-watching Brooklyn NineNine,” explains John.

“I hated the idea of losing so much time and turning a great year into one of boredom and postponement. So, rather than letting 714 hours go to waste, I began investing all of my time and effort into a ridiculous and utterly unrealistic idea – a global, ultra-accessible and free debate competition.”

John’s motivation came from his love of debating and public speaking but also from a desire to connect people and allow them to share perspectives.

“My generation seems to observe a world which continues to become more polarised, more isolated and less understanding,” he says.

“I’ve always wanted a way to actively engage with and understand the world outside of my backyard. I feel one of the most important things is to be able to understand a

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different perspective, even if you don’t agree with it, as that is how we can overcome adversity together.

“Debating provides that opportunity by forcing you to come to grips with one side of an argument whether you support it or not. Doing this on an international scale gives students the opportunity to engage with minds from a completely different background and become more understanding of the world around us.

“I make sure there is always time for both teams to talk to one another while they debate, not as competitors, but as an opportunity to see what life is like on the other side of the world and as a way to make some new friends, which our participants love.”

Maintaining momentum

Once he got started, John was determined to see it through to ensure the competition got up and running properly.

“After lockdown was over, I spent around 20 hours a week during school continuing The Cosmos Championship and 50 hours a week away from school to make sure that it at least had a chance to become something unique,” he says.

“The main challenge I’ve had is being able to dedicate the time this competition deserves.

“I miss sleeping for more than seven hours, and it’s unusual to prioritise emails over a scholarship exam happening in two hours,” John admits.

Part of getting the competition going involved convincing others that what he was working on was worthwhile and realistic.

“Many adults immediately saw a teenager creating something of this scale as a pipe dream and thought I must not understand what running such a competition means,” he says.

“Fortunately, there are organisations and companies out there that welcome the idea and recognise the potential high school students have in being able to create something impactful outside of the school curriculum.”

Looking forward

With people from 90 countries already registered, The Cosmos Championship is now one of the most widereaching international debate competitions.

“We are working to engage with as many people as possible so they can make the most out of the opportunities presented by The Cosmos Championship, whether that be as a participant, adjudicator, or supporter,” John explains.

“We are working closely with schools, organisations

and companies from all around the world so their students, audience or debaters can make the most out of The Cosmos Championship.”

Creating the platform and working to make it succeed has given John valuable insights into the world beyond school.

“One of the most important lessons I have learnt is what it is like to live in a professional, work-focused environment,” he says.

“Before this competition I was quite confident making speeches, writing essays, and shifting demand curves side to side.

“Now I’ve had experience with many things teenagers don’t get the opportunity to delve into, such as project management, networking, partnership development, marketing, idea development, making the most out of every single dollar and a thousand other things. However, I still have so much more to learn.”

Taking chances

John hopes his story shows that young people are in a great position to try new things and take chances while they can.

“Everyone my age has a unique opportunity where the next eight years of our lives will determine the next 60 years,” he says.

“What we often fail to recognise is the unique opportunities a single school holiday (or pandemic) can provide.

“If things go sideways, we may walk away with a slightly bruised ego, but also with the experience of failure, a vast variety of new skills, and the knowledge that most people wouldn’t even try in the first place.

“It’s a period where you have very few commitments making it the perfect testing time for a new idea you may have. If you begin to see the potential, you will then realise how much spare time you have in a day when you are doing something you are actually passionate about.

“If we take significant risks to do something big, such as investing 1,000 hours into a new initiative, we have very little to lose and so much more to gain.”

Scan this QR Code to visit this article online to find out more about The Cosmos Championship.

“I make sure there is always time for both teams to talk to one another while they debate, not as competitors, but as an opportunity to see what life is like on the other side of the world and as a way to make some new friends, which our participants love.”

John Hopcroft 24 May 2021

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Connected through culture, and fun: The Sri Lankan group from Avondale College are all smiles and laughs on and off-stage.

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CU LT U RAL I DENTIT Y

Cultural festival heralds new hope for Pacific communities Seeing the rich Pacific cultures of Aotearoa take to the stage to celebrate their unique identities has been a long time coming. But the moment of renewed hope finally arrived as the Auckland school community stormed Manukau for ASB Polyfest: the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Island Cultural Festival.

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s Polyfest 2021 opened on a brisk autumn morning in South Auckland, so too did the heavens. Participants and dignitaries hurried for cover beneath umbrellas and lightweight shelters, and much of the ground at the Manukau Sports Bowl soon softened into mud. But no amount of torrential rain could dampen the spirit of Aotearoa’s flagship cultural event, after being disrupted for two years running.

“After the disappointment of last year, it’s an honour to be here to represent my culture and my school,” says Laumanu Lavulavu, deputy head girl at Southern Cross Campus in Mangere, where 84 per cent of students are of Pacific heritage.

Laumanu also co-leads the school’s formidable, 60-strong Tongan group. As the group gathered for the opening ceremony, the rain began to bucket down.

But Laumanu and her teammates were unfazed and broke into rousing song. “Lean on Me” they belted out as they huddled inside a pop-up gazebo.

The group’s commitment to Polyfest and each other is palpable. In fact, it was a struggle for Laumanu to step away to answer some questions.

“We have spent months preparing for this, rehearsing every day after school until 5.30pm, and now we are here, our hard work is paying off,” she says.

Terri Leo-Mau’u says the community needed and deserved this.

“We deserved having our students back out there on stage and celebrating our young people. The reward has been seeing our young people and to see how happy they are to be finally on stage showcasing their culture.”

A new hope following Covid-19

Avondale College student Jacqueline Silpsai describes her Polyfest experience as “heart-warming” for the sense of belonging it affords.

“At school, we Thai students magically find each other.

We unite and we belong,” she says. “We’re just a bit sad that this will be our last year.”

Jacqueline and her peers, Pakkad Champakvan and Jessie Hamilton, lead the Thai cultural group at Avondale College.

“We have been practising almost every day for the past three months, every lunchtime and weekends too,” she says.

For so many of those performing, Polyfest 2021 marks more than a long-awaited return to the stage; it’s a time of triumph over adversity, a moment that heralds a new period of hope after a challenging year dealing with the fallout from Covid-19.

Today these student leaders are feeling victorious.

“Being here is very special; it’s so good to connect with our community as a nation,” says Tongan group co-leader Maima Aka. Speaking to Radio New Zealand, event coordinator Seiuli

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Identity central to learning

Studies indicate that for Pacific learners, identity, language and culture is central to learning. The Action Plan for Pacific Education 2020–2030 has a vision that diverse Pacific learners and their families feel safe, valued and equipped to achieve their education aspirations.

“Pacific communities across New Zealand are diverse and dynamic, with rich and varied whakapapa, histories, languages, cultures and identities.”

Some key messages from the Action Plan include: » For Pacific learners and their families, recognising their unique identities, languages and cultures is critical to success in education. » Children and people who feel safe and confident in themselves and in their learning environments, are those who best engage, participate and achieve in education, in work and in life.

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Top left: Adorning beautiful cultural dress, performers are ready to share their culture with the crowds.

Bottom left: Avondale College’s Cook Islands group prepare to take the stage.

Right: Ākonga from St Cuthbert’s College are fierce on the Māori stage.

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“It gives us Thai people a chance to showcase our delicate culture to everyone,” says Pakkad.

“It makes us happy to teach everyone to do the Thai dance, and it makes our families very proud. We have to do this to keep our culture alive.”

Ingrid Opera teaches at Avondale College and observes that the impact of cultural groups is far reaching.

“What I experience is Year 9s mixing with Year 13s; the older ones bring in the Year 9s and give them a place to feel included. They have spent every spare moment practising to be able to come here today, and they are passing down strong friendships.

“A student might have one parent who is Thai, but all the students have different backgrounds and here they have a very inclusive environment. Whether or not you can dance, everyone has a role, and everyone’s voices are heard.”

Cultural groups also promote leadership learning, says Ingrid. “The leadership is very strong this year. As the group left the stage, I heard one of the leaders say to a student, ‘Don’t be a stranger’.

Across the field and inside another canvas shelter is an equally exuberant school group, the kapa haka rōpū from Papakura High School.

They will not perform until the last day of the festival, but they have come out today to be part of the pōwhiri.

While rain trickles down tent poles to form puddles on the ground, the atmosphere is electric, and rangatahi are bubbling with enthusiasm.

“This is a very proud moment for our school and culture, and we are very excited,” says Whaea Katarena.

“Getting here requires enormous effort from all schools, it has been a long struggle. We are the only school going in for competition from Papakura and we’ve had only five weeks to train. Our school enters 10 groups and it’s a big celebration.

“Everyone was really sad when it was cancelled last year but it was a scary situation for them. Now the kids are used to a new way of life.”

Ngaire Edwards, 17, has been part of the school’s kapa haka rōpū for four years.

“It’s a big deal to represent your school and leave your mark on the stage; it’s a privilege to be here.”

When the festival is over, the students have gone and the stages have been packed down, Ngaire shares how her group placed third in the competition.

“For me it was the hardest performance ever as I really felt the pressure, but afterwards I felt so good. It gave me so much pride in my school and pride in my culture, it’s something I’ll always remember.”

With the triumphant return and completion of Polyfest 2021, students and communities are excited to build on their group’s progress and raise celebrations to new heights for 2022.

“Being here is very special; it’s so good to connect with our community as a nation.”

Maima Aka, Tongan group co-leader 24 May 2021

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RESOU RCES

Game on!

The New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) has developed a range of teaching resources that focus on health and fitness, and offer learning opportunities about the Olympic values and Japanese culture.

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he NZOC Olympic Education programme (Game On!) provides free online curriculum-based resources, games, and information to inspire and motivate young Kiwis to be active and learn about the Olympic values of friendship, excellence and respect.

The programme features many options for students of all ages, including a cross-curricular 2,000 kilometre ‘journey’ from the south of Japan to Tokyo, and a hauora resource in te reo Māori, featuring interviews with athletes about what is required to thrive and compete on an international stage.

Global perspectives

An appreciation of the global community in which we live is vital, as is an understanding that our similarities outweigh our differences, says Cindy Gilbert, assistant HOD Humanities at Gisborne Boys’ High School.

“From a secondary school perspective, the NZOC resources give students the opportunity to learn through a variety of means, get a taste of Japanese culture, and explore key Olympic values.

“As well as more obvious literacy, geography and history skills; empathy and the understanding of resilience can be developed when considering, for example, the ‘lottery of birth’ and the hardships the Refugee Team has faced in order to take part in the event,” explains Cindy.

A Refugee Olympic Team was announced by International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, in response to the global refugee crisis that has seen millions of people in the world displaced. There will also be a Refugee Olympic Team for Tokyo 2020.

“These soft skills are important in our everyday interactions with others and can often be overlooked as a trait that requires development,” adds Cindy.

The cross-curricular links within the resources reinforce skills developed within social studies which are vital to literacy and numeracy, she says.

“As there are a variety of resources, students have the ability to complete independent research in an area of particular interest to them within and outside of the classroom. Gisborne Boys’ High School is also very appreciative that an Olympian is visiting the school to further spark student interest and support their learning.

It is vital for students in schools such as ours to have rolemodels to aspire to.”

Mini-Olympics

Health and PE resources provide opportunities to get active and learn about the diverse roles in high-level sport.

The Health and PE resource, Let’s Go Tokyo, offers opportunities for children at Sherwood Primary School to participate in a mini-Olympics, says Andrew Smart, the school’s health and physical education specialist.

Year 5 and 6 students will work through the resource and organise the mini-Olympics for Year 3 and 4 tamariki in term 2. Andrew sees every class for PE from Year 0–6 at the 460+ pupil school, and he’s passionate about developing leadership skills with senior students.

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“I’m impressed by the movement skills and the fact they get a chance to experience different activities, which leads to some good discussions about why Olympians would use those skills. You’re playing a game, and then you look at what was the main movement skill? Then they can look at why you would use that movement in ‘this scenario’, which could help to develop higher level thinking.”

He says the NZOC resource provides opportunities for children who don’t usually enjoy or excel at physical activities.

“There will be opportunities for kids who are good at being a leader and running things, and some kids might be keener on using technology – taking videos, doing a newspaper. There’s a chance for different learning,” explains Andrew.

To ramp up motivation and excitement ahead of the Olympic season, Olympic ambassador and Commonwealth Games medallist weightlifter Richie Paterson will visit the Year 5 and 6 children.

Olympian resources

The resources can be found at www.olympic.org.nz/ education » Let’s Go Tokyo, a health and PE resource that provides Year 5–8 students with rich learning experiences in movement, coaching and leadership as they work towards planning a mini-Olympics event for a younger age group.

The unit, which includes nine weeks of learning activities, can be adapted for other age groups. Students will learn to adopt a coaching role and learn about the diverse range of sporting roles required to run the Tokyo Olympic Games. » My Virtual Mission to the Tokyo Olympics is a health and PE fitness and movement challenge for primary and intermediate school classes. The competition can also be a cross-curricular resource – the class learn about Japan as they make their way in the 2,000 kilometre journey from the south of Japan to Tokyo. Milestones along the route including the Hiroshima Peace Park, are also well suited for social studies. » The social studies resource features six modules which include: Japanese culture, Olympic values, Olympic sports, technology and sustainability. The unit has a strong focus on how digital literacy aligns with the new digital learning curriculum. The Olympic values also align strongly with mental health in the health and physical education curriculum. » Tū Ihi Rangi is a hauora resource in te reo Māori. It includes kōrero with three Olympic and Commonwealth Games athletes and discusses the requirements to thrive and compete at this level, including their identity and mental strength. Tū Ihi Rangi supports rich teaching and

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Olympic values frame learning

The NZOC resources work well for Howick College, which has run a Sport in Education programme for Year 9–11 students since 2013, and has just added it at Year 12. The programme is cross-curricular, covering English, maths, science, social studies, health and PE through a sports context, says programme director, Emma Jones.

“In 2019, we had a programme we called athlete development – they covered three specific units using the Olympic values. They would understand and then use those values to become better students, better athletes, and beyond.

“We always introduce the value in terms of the Olympics, but then looking at hauora and wellbeing, positivity and keeping grounded. They look at forging strong friendships and having the right people in your team who can support, guide and keep you on track,” says Emma.

learning in hauora within the wāhanga ako of Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. » Team New Zealand Athletes is an interactive digital resource which allows students to research eight Olympic athletes such as Luuka Jones, whitewater kayak medallist at the Rio games. Each chapter focuses on one athlete, with facts about the athlete, action videos, quizzes, advice about training and nutrition, and information about the sport. » Olympic Ambassador Programme. There are 35 Olympic ambassadors across Aotearoa – a mix of active and retired athletes – available to visit schools to talk about their sporting and Olympic experiences and to discuss the place of the Olympic values in their lives. » Secondary cross-curricular resource contains about 75 different teaching and learning activities for Year 10 and up, with three sections themed on one of the three Olympic values of respect, friendship and excellence.

Each section has teaching and learning activities in five learning areas: health and PE, science, mathematics, English, and social studies. » Olympic stories are the personal and sporting stories of 20 of our most famous Olympians, such as Dame Valerie Adams.

Scan this QR Code to view this article online for links to the resources.

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Period products should be available in schools and kura. Period.

All ākonga deserve the right to feel comfortable at school, engage in their learning and manage what should be a normal part of life.

To help with this, the Government is now providing free period products for all state and state-integrated schools and kura.

Help normalise periods and remove barriers.

Opt into this initiative to empower your ākonga.

Sign up at education.govt.nz

H ISTORI ES CU RRICU LU M

Mentoring programme to develop local history curricula Throughout 2021, more than 70 teachers and kaiako will be mentored to develop integrated local curriculum, with a focus on Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories.

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n 2022, Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories will be given more prominence in both English and Māori-medium schools and kura through the Tikanga ā-iwi learning area of Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and Social Sciences in The New Zealand Curriculum.

A cohort of teachers from throughout the country will be supported on this journey by He Mārau Pāhekoheko, the Raranga Matihiko national teachers’ programme, developed and led by The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

Amiria Stirling is a facilitator and content creator of the programme, and hits the road in May and June to facilitate two-day wānanga throughout Aotearoa.

She will be accompanied by colleague Tara Fagan, project director for Raranga Matihiko/Weaving Digital Futures.

Amiria Stirling talks to kaiako at the first hui held at Te Papa in Wellington.

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“I want to see schools go on a journey of integration. We hope the end result is that the schools will capture their journey and they’ll share it with us. These schools will be the catalyst of an approach to integrating Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories working towards 2022,” says Amiria.

“For a lot of us learning our history is new. We might know aspects of it, but we don’t necessarily tie the whole story together. Or we might know the national picture, but not what the local impact was, so there’s a lot of learning to happen,” says Tara.

Enabler for learning

Digital Technologies and Hangarau Matihiko (DT&HM) and Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories are the two most recent changes to the curriculum, says Tara.

Raranga Matihiko is well placed to help teachers and kaiako weave together elements of the two areas of the curriculum to develop engaging and relevant programmes. For the past three years, the team has been working with partners Auckland Museum, Waitangi Treaty Grounds, MTG Hawke’s Bay, Waikato Museum, and more recently Auckland Art Gallery, to deliver the programme.

“We work with teachers to find out what their inquiry topic is, design bespoke programmes, and then draw on aspects of our museum or taonga or curatorial knowledge. Even though that part of the programme has been DT&HM focused, it’s actually about curriculum integration and local curriculum, because we want to bring those local stories in as much as we can, as well as making sure that we’re not teaching technology in isolation,” explains Tara.

Tara says digital technology is a tool for students to be able to tell their own stories – and engage with them.

“For young people, there’s something exciting to be able to 3D model a battle site that happened in the 1800s, or to represent their learning in different ways.

“Suddenly when you’re starting to design a 3D waka and you’re talking about Pacific navigation, you’ve got to think about what you’re going to put on that waka. You’ve got to design for what sort of sails you would have and how you would transport food. It’s an enabler for learning,” she says.

Multi-faceted programme

Participants in the teacher mentoring programme will: » Unpack new content and foci in Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories, the connections to their local curriculum and engage in wānanga about historic topics relevant to their kura setting. » Co-construct local curriculum design and implementation. » Strengthen understandings of the revised technology/ hangarau learning areas. » Develop relationships with other kaiako undertaking the programme in their Ministry of Education region. » Receive curriculum support through webinars, resources, conversation and practice. » Share with their kura and whānau the processes and resources gained in the programme.

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Teachers from the Wellington region attended the first hui at Te Papa in May.

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Tara Fagan discusses local histories with kaiako at the Wellington hui.

Kete approach

He Mārau Pāhekoheko will focus on three kete which will be unpacked during the nationwide mentoring programme, says Amiria.

The first kete will include discussing challenges and the kind of integration participants think their schools can manage.

“Before we get into the context, we’re looking at what is integration? How much can you manage in your school?

We realise some teachers may only be able to manage integration across a couple of classrooms, or even in their own classrooms.

“In this programme, there are four views of integration: integration across a couple of subjects like maths and science, integration across a syndicate or a larger portion of the school and the way they manage curriculum, and also large-scale integration of curriculum areas across the entire school through to the end point – where there’s integration into communities,” explains Amiria.

Kete two will focus on the history of the whenua where a school is located, and developing and maintaining authentic and reciprocal relationships with mana whenua and relevant groups.

“Who are you going to connect with, to talk about the local histories that pertain to your local area? In the kete there are some resources/tools to help kaiako identify the who and how,” says Amiria.

“Where we can, we want to hold our wānanga at cultural and heritage spaces, because they will be one of the local places that hold that knowledge and taonga,” explains Tara.

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“It’s really important for schools to consider local knowledge and their approach to mana whenua or their local museum or cultural and heritage spaces. We want to try bring people together and say ‘in your first contact, share the knowledge among schools’ and build relationships,” she says.

Kete three will bring everything together.

“By the end of the wānanga, each participant will have created a future-looking curriculum for their school to implement – ideally in 2022,” explains Amiria.

“It’s about capturing what we know, what we don’t know, what we do with the information, and how we blend that into our education programme. That’s where it fits in with digital technologies – you have this platform now to unpack and create with the new learning,” she says.

Sharing the knowledge

Following the two-day wānanga, participants will attend webinars and receive mentoring throughout the year to get schools to the end of the third kete.

“There will probably be a lot of online meetings. I’ll walk alongside them and see what help they’ll need on their journey. Every journey will be bespoke, so my job will be to learn what each school is aiming for, and what they have and need,” explains Amiria.

While group mentoring will be closed to the participants in He Mārau Pāhekoheko, the webinars and resources will all be licensed by Creative Commons and freely available via the website: rarangamatihiko.com.

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“We’ve built up a lot of resources over the three years we’ve been doing Raranga Matihiko, so we will be directing teachers to some of these, but we also have a wide range of experts across our team. So, if a class wants to do digital storytelling, we can show them ways in which they can do that.

“We’ll be running webinars which won’t just be open to teachers taking part in the programme, but to any interested teacher,” says Tara.

It’s hoped a free online conference will be run at the end of the year, so the teachers and kaiako involved in the programme can share the journey with each other, and colleagues nationwide.

“For a lot of us, learning our history is new. We might know aspects of it, but we don’t necessarily tie the whole story together.”

Tara Fagan “These teachers are putting a lot into the programme, and if they’re willing to share their learnings, it’s good for them to be able to help other teachers with tips and tricks, successes, and things that didn’t work so well,” says Tara.

Embracing local stories

As a former tumuaki, Amiria is passionate about people knowing their own stories.

“This is coming from a background of Māori-medium education where it’s inherent. It’s naturalised in the setting and I’m aware that I’m going into spaces that aren’t familiar with that kind of approach to education, which is why in the first kete, I’m going to talk about who you are, what your makeup is, what you do, and why you do it, before stepping into the next kete.

“Each community will have their own bespoke foci and contexts. That’s why it’s a privilege for me to see the ways schools embrace those local contexts and stories,” she says.

To help support teachers to create relevant integrated curriculum with a focus on Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories, the Raranga Matihiko national teachers’ programme will help kaiako: » Unpack Te Takanga o te Wā, social science and histories relevant to their kura and school needs. » Provide cross-curricular approaches to support local curriculum. » Assist with leadership opportunities for kaiako to lead/ help lead schoolwide curriculum design and integration. » Provide inspiration, strategies and resources to support all learners.

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As a former tumuaki, Amiria is passionate about people knowing their own stories.

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Local steering group members Manar Ibrahim and Suhayla Asghari.

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WELLBEI NG

Wellbeing and safety in tertiary education Ethnic and Muslim communities in Christchurch have had a chance to have a say on the wellbeing and safety of tertiary learners.

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meeting held recently at Hagley College – Te Puna Wai o Waipapa – was part of the Ministry of Education’s efforts to engage ākonga, whānau, communities and education professionals to help shape positive environments for all tertiary learners.

Proposed changes to improve wellbeing and safety are outlined in Te oranga me te haumaru ākonga | Learner wellbeing and safety, and include: » a code of practice that sets out what is expected of providers for domestic tertiary learners and all international learners’ wellbeing and safety » a new service to help resolve some disputes between students and tertiary organisations » law changes that would affect tertiary providers with domestic and international students, and schools with international students.

“Our research tells us that learners succeed best when their wellbeing and safety is considered by education providers. And the Government’s Tertiary Education Strategy (TES) asks that all tertiary institutions operate places of learning that are safe, inclusive and free from racism, discrimination and bullying,” says Andy Jackson, deputy secretary for Te Ara Kaimanawa.

“The wellbeing and safety of tertiary and international learners is a shared responsibility between Government, tertiary education providers, learners, whānau and the wider community,” says Andy.

Shared focus

This collaboration was evident at the meeting in Christchurch, held in March this year. Te Ara Kaimanawa worked with a steering group of four leaders from the Christchurch ethnic and Muslim community – Suhayla Asghari, Sadra Sultani, Manar Ibrahim, and Dr Mazharuddin Syed Ahmed, with support from Mastura Abd Rahman from the Christchurch regional office – to design the event.

The purpose of the meeting was to explore what members of ethnic and Muslim communities in Christchurch need so that learners have an effective, culturally responsive and equitable system of supports to have their wellbeing and safety looked after by tertiary organisations.

Around 70 people attended the meeting, including parents and young people from a range of backgrounds.

While some were born in New Zealand, others came as migrants, but all were voicing their opinions as

“The education system wasn’t designed for people like me.”

Participant at ethnic and Muslim education meeting

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New Zealand citizens, not just as learners in the system.

The discussions referred to lived experiences and were solution focussed.

Representatives from NZQA and the Tertiary Education Commission, the Office for Ethnic Communities, and local education providers also attended.

Insights and recommendations

Some interesting insights emerged from discussions at the meeting as well as suggested actions to improve issues in tertiary education.

Some spoke of the micro-aggressions they face in learning environments and teachers’ unconscious bias.

One participant gave the example of a teacher who made the assumption that a learner with an Arabic name didn’t understand English, although he had lived in New Zealand his entire life.

Participants spoke about the need to acknowledge major Muslim events during the exam period, and the need for more culturally responsive services in tertiary accommodation, taking into consideration faith, safety, gender, food and cultural needs.

An insight that was emphasised by a few participants was the need for representation at different levels in university, such as having people from ethnic and interfaith backgrounds as student advisors who can relate to and understand them better.

It was recommended that tertiary provider training should include an emphasis on culturally responsive practices.

New Zealand tertiary education organisations are expected to become increasingly diverse in the next five years.

“The education system wasn’t designed for people like me,” says steering group member and recent graduate Sadra Sultani. “We have a responsibility to ensure that lessons are learned so that the next generations don’t have to go through the experiences of others.”

People want to be included as organisations adapt to this change.

“We want to be contacted and consulted if there are issues that we can help with – it shows the respect for us and our culture.”

The meeting was well-represented with students, graduates, parents, Ministry staff and tertiary education staff.

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Participant at ethnic and Muslim education meeting.

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“We want to be contacted and consulted if there are issues that we can help with – it shows the respect for us and our culture,” said one participant.

Dr Mazharuddin Syed Ahmed, steering group member and lecturer at Ara Institute of Canterbury, emphasised this is the way to make sustainable change: “If you want to walk fast, walk alone; if you want to walk far, walk with others.”

Starting the conversation early

Participants agreed there is a need to encourage diversity and acceptance earlier on at school. One participant noted that different ethnic students hang out together and don’t mix with others and are missing out on others’ points of view.

Another insight was that spirituality is an important part of mental and physical health. The health and physical education curriculum is a good opportunity to explore Te Whare Tapa Whā model, to help students understand that wairua and spirituality are components of a person’s health and wellbeing.

Participants also said there is a need to relook at education for parents of migrant and refugee background students, to help them feel more involved in their children’s education from an early stage.

“Māori values are very well respected here now, but

when many of the parents in our community arrived years ago, there was a massive gap in tikanga Māori.

Parents didn’t learn why Te Tiriti and Māori values are so important but they want to learn about it,” says Dr Syed Ahmed.

“Understanding the Treaty shows how we fit into the Crown’s responsibilities. Without that knowledge we never felt that sense of being part of the New Zealand identity,” he says.

Next steps

The meeting helped build a better understanding about what is needed to support ethnic and Muslim learners’ wellbeing and safety.

Imam Gamal Fouda, from the Masjiid Al Noor Mosque, says “the Ministry of Education is one of the two backbones of peace in our country. Media and education shape people’s minds. It’s easy to change the law sometimes, but the most important thing is changing minds, not laws.”

Agencies and providers hope to work with their communities to develop an action plan to build more culturally responsive practices into the tertiary education and secondary sectors.

Diverse members of the ethnic and Muslim community in Christchurch share ideas for wellbeing in tertiary education.

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DISPL AY VACANCI ES

EXTRAORDINARY KIDS TEACHER Extraordinary Kids is a successful learning centre, on the Northshore of Auckland, helping students aged 6 to 16 with maths and literacy.

We are looking for a reliable and motivated teacher to join the team. Hours are after-school Monday to Friday.

Please email iywalton@gmail.com with your details.

Initial Teacher Education Opportunity (remainder of 2021) Massey University Institute of Education is seeking a successful experienced secondary teacher for a full-time/part-time teaching position for the remainder of 2021 to contribute to the teaching and development in our new Graduate Diploma of Learning and Teaching. The ability to work in a digital space and create high quality teaching resources is essential.

Please forward your letter of interest with a recent CV to Associate Professor Sally Hansen, Director of Professional Education email S.E.Hansen@massey.ac.nz. Closing Date: 4 June 2021.

Do you have a vacancy that you would like to advertise to the education sector?

Place an advertisement in the display vacancies section and reach both the passive and active jobseekers by contacting Jill Parker: jill.parker@nzme.co.nz 027 212 9277

To view the PLD, general notice listings and vacancies at gazette.education.govt.nz

Professional learning and development

Notices

Vacancies

Scan the QR codes with the camera on your device.

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NCEA Change Pa

Support for beginning teachers Are you a beginning teacher who: graduated in 2020 completed your ITE programme with reduced practical experience due to COVID-19

If you tick all the boxes, you may be eligible to access the free Enhanced Induction and Mentoring Programme, delivered by your local university.

Scan code to apply now:

is now teaching in an early learning service, school or kura in 2021.

Further information: www.auckland.ac.nz/enhanced-induction-mentoring-programme If you have questions, call the Teaching Council on (04) 471 0852