Principals Today #115

Bucking the trend How Deep Green BushSchool is swimming against education’s traditional flow

KEY AREAS OF FINANCIAL RISK Identifying your school’s fiscal vulnerabilities

BEATING THE BULLIES The three-step programme to beat bullying

HELPING KIDS COPE A toolkit to help schools support student wellbeing ISSN 1170-4071 HAVE THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE SEEN THIS?

STAGGERED STARTS Why the cohort entry proposal makes an awful lot of sense Principal Administration Dept Board of Trustees Property Manager Outdoor Ed Dept Teachers

You’ll be surprised at what we can do When it comes to school property, City Care does it all. Building projects, reactive maintenance, painting, grounds and tree services, playground inspections…

“We’ve got a great working relationship with City Care. They go out of their way to understand the difficulties faced by schools and are always approachable and prepared to come up with options that suit us. I’ve also been very impressed with the way they deal with Health & Safety.”

Charles Levings, Principal, Avonhead School

If you want a partner who’ll look after your assets without blowing the budget, talk to City Care on 0508 CITYCARE. KEEP 2017 SAFE. Download our four handy checklists on tree and playground safety, painting and swimming pool maintenance at:

Education.citycare.co.nz /painting

Our people.

Making it work.

Education.citycare.co.nz /arborist

Education.citycare.co.nz /playground

Education.citycare.co.nz /swimmingpools

15

9

22

INFO

IDEAS WWW.PRINCIPALSTODAY.CO.NZ ISSUE 115 | TERM 3, 2017 HEAD OFFICE

AUCK OFFICE Level 6 10 Scotia Place Auckland

2 Ivan Jamieson Place Christchurch Airport Christchurch 8053

MANAGING DIRECTOR Gary Collins

GENERAL MANAGER OF OPERATIONS Kylie Palermo

NATIONAL SALES & DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Clive Greenwood

6 | PRINCIPAL Q&A

Campion College principal Paul McGuinness talks about personalising learning to match individual student needs

7 | BUCKING THE TREND Joey Moncarz talks about

how Deep Green Bush-School is swimming against education’s traditional flow

8 | HAVE YOUR SAY

Digital Technologies and International Education strategies are open for review

ADMINISTRATION

9 | STAGGERED STARTS

Louise Keates Angela Barltrop Laura McLoed Lyn Wright Jo Pritchard Melissa Smith

Why the cohort entry proposal makes an awful lot of sense

7

Phone: (03) 961 5050 Fax: 0800 555 054 Email: admin@academygroup.co.nz

“We assume that children will not learn unless they are forced to – this is a myth.”

SALES & ADVERTISING Monice Kruger Chris Graves Melissa Sinclair

MEDIA CONSULTANTS

Phone: (03) 961 5176 Email: sales@academygroup.co.nz

5 | RESILIENCE AND GRIT

Jane Cowan-Harris says resilience and grit are key for a happy, healthy workplace

LEARNING SPACE 11 | keeping school pools afloat

The mission to help schools maintain their pools

5 | STRESS MANAGEMENT

Mary Casey talks about combating negative emotions

5 | WHEN FACEBOOK TURNS FERAL

Michelle Hider on navigating your way through a social media minefield

8 | KEY AREAS OF FINANCIAL RISK

Identifying your school’s fiscal vulnerabilities

10 | EDUCATION COUNCIL TAKES ON UPSKILLING

Teachers’ professional development transfers to Education Council

15 | HELPING KIDS COPE

A toolkit to help schools support student wellbeing

12

HEALTHY SPACE 12 | WASTE NOT, WANT NOT

Tackling food waste in your school canteen

14 | HANDLING ALLERGIC REACTIONS

Food allergy and anaphylaxis in schools

15 | BEATING THE BULLIES

The three-step programme to beat bullying

WORKING SPACE 16 | ENHANCING DIGITAL FLUENCY

What’s inside the Government’s $40 million, three-year digital fluency package

16 | ON STAGE

Stages and seating designed for high performance

20 | FIRE SAFETY DESIGN

NEWSROOM Jonathon Taylor Lydia Truesdale Natalia Rietveld Marie Sherry

TOOLS

EDITOR JOURNALISTS

Phone: (03) 961 5098 Email: editor@academygroup.co.nz

A quick look at the Fire and Safety Design Requirements for Schools

22 | PICTURE THIS

PRODUCTION Jarred Shakespeare ART DIRECTOR Carolynne Brown CO-ORDINATORS Sophie McGinn Sarah Betman DESIGNERS Sam Stuart

FOR ALL ADVERTISING ENQUIRERS

Phone: (03) 961 5077 | 0800 555 097 Email: production@academygroup.co.nz

Youngsters schooled by world-famous photographer

Contact the sales team on (03) 961 5176 | sales@academygroup.co.nz

Disclaimer

Scan this QR code to check us out at: www.principalstoday.co.nz

This publication is provided on the basis that A-Mark Publishing is not responsible for the results of any actions taken on the basis of information in these articles, nor for any error or omission from these articles and that the firm is not hereby engaged in rendering advice or services. A-Mark Publishing expressly disclaim all and any liability and responsibility to any person in respect of anything and of the consequences of anything done, or omitted to be done, by any such a person in reliance, whether wholly or partially upon the whole or any part of the contents of this publication. Advertising feature articles are classified as advertising content and as such, information contained in them is subject to the Advertising Standards Authority Codes of Practice. Contents Copyright 2013 by A-Mark Publishing (NZ) Ltd. All rights reserved. No article or advertisement may be reproduced without written permission.

Competition guidelines

2,503

ABC circulation as at 30/03/17 ISSN 1170-4071 (Print) | ISSN 2230-6358 (Online)

Conditions of entry: One entry only per person and must be sent on the official entry form or as otherwise stated. Entry is free and open to all residents of New Zealand.

All entrants must be over the age of 18, proof of identity and date of birth may be requested. Employees and their immediate families of Academy Publishing, the promoter and agencies associated with any promotion in this publication are ineligible to enter. Winner(s) will be notified by email/phone. The judges’ decision is final, no correspondence will be entered into. No responsibility is accepted for late, lost or misdirected mail. Prizes are not transferable or redeemable for cash.

Academy Publishing, the promoter and agencies associated with any promotion in this publication shall not be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever suffered (including but not limited to direct or consequential loss) or personal injury suffered or sustained, during the course of prize winning travel or in connection with any other prizes won. Academy Publishing, the promoter and agencies associated with any promotion in this publication accept no responsibility for health, luggage, insurances, travel, personal expenses and transfers other than specified. Entries remain the property of Academy Publishing, the promoter and agencies associated with any promotion in this publication and cannot be returned. Academy Publishing, the promoter and agencies associated with any promotion in this publication reserves the right to photograph and publish winners. Entries may be used for further marketing purposes by Academy Publishing, the promoter and agencies associated with any promotion in this publication but are not made available to any third party.

4 | Term 3, 2017 www.principalstoday.co.nz

This publication is printed on papers supplied by

All wood originates from sustainably managed forests or waste sources.

All mills utilise the Chain of Custody system to verify fibre source. The end product is recyclable.

All mills are ISO 14001 certified.

News | Viewpoints

Dr Mary Casey Founder and CEO of the Casey Centre www.caseycentre.com.au

Jane Cowan-Harris Head of WorkSpace www.workspaceiq.co.nz

Michele Hider Director of Priority Communications www.prioritycomms.co.nz

Stress Management

When Facebook turns feral Resilience and grit

Stress is our brain and body’s way of responding to any kind of pressure such as challenging or even dangerous situations. Depending on the person’s perception, these situations are perceived as either good or bad, and therefore, even though the stress response is similar, it can be seen as either good stress or bad stress.

Social media is a great tool for encouraging two-way communication between organisations and the people they care about. But what do you do if it turns feral?

It’s fair to say that you hear the word ‘resilience’ used in all manner of working environments these days, and it’s quite likely to be shortly followed by a collective groan.

Your school or personal Facebook page has been running smoothly for years – you’ve been posting great content and have plenty of followers – until a sudden stream of unpleasant posts are made by an anonymous troll. This cowardly individual’s intention is to sour the conversation on your page and damage the reputation of you or your organisation. What do you do?

Resilience helps cope with stress

When people feel stressed by something going on around them, their bodies react by releasing chemicals into the blood (“fight-or-flight” hormones amongst other things).

These chemicals give people more energy and strength, which is a good thing if their stress is caused by a situation that requires extra energy and strength. But this can also be a bad thing, if their stress is caused by a situation that does not offer an outlet for this extra energy and strength.

Many of your body’s negative responses to stress can be offset with positive responses from relaxation. While the most effective way to fight stress will vary for each individual, here are things to try: Look after yourself A healthy lifestyle through regular exercise, adequate sleep and a balanced, healthy diet will help your body to cope with stressful situations.

Manage your time Set realistic goals and deadlines and plan projects in advance. Make lists and priorities, and schedule all the important aspects of your life, such as health, relationships and family.

Find what relaxes you physically Choose activities that help you to feel good, such as massage, yoga, swimming, spa baths, social sports, even sex.

Find what relaxes you mentally Choose activities that help you to unwind and forget about your worries, such as reading, meditation, listening to music, relaxation techniques, going to the movies or taking a holiday.

Maintain good social relationships Work on your ties with both family and friends.

Spend time and laugh with the people whose company you enjoy, and who you can confide in when needed.

The rules have been broken but no one will really want to know. A response from Facebook will likely take several days, and police won’t be that interested if you can’t identify the troll and no one has been threatened.

A successful defamation, harassment or breach of privacy claim requires the troll to be found; unfortunately tracking an IP address can be a long and expensive exercise.

From our experience, it’s not uncommon for trolls to take aim at Facebook pages, although it’s often hard to work out why. These people may simply be haters wanting a fight, an aggrieved ex-employee, a vengeful ex-partner or even the guy you accidentally cut off on your way to work that morning.

The key with any troll is to not care too much and certainly not to get into a fight.

Having said that, pause and make sure you are doing the right thing by your customers and contacts. Just because it’s anonymous doesn’t always mean that what that person has to say isn’t valid.

If you think there is a genuine problem, see if you can find out who they are and ask them to contact you directly.

Don’t let anonymous comments interfere with your work. Anonymous Facebook haters are very easy to spot and the garbage they post will usually provoke positive responses from your Facebook followers. You also have the option of removing their posts – a good move if the posts are offensive to you, your staff or your organisation.

If you are worried about a potential troll on your Facebook page, you can tighten your security so that visitor posts have to be pre-approved.

Resilience does actually help us cope with the challenges that living and working in a modern, seemingly ever faster, environment present.

Navigating the multitude of modern day obstacles can lead to frustration. And yes, managing these situations does take resilience and all of these stresses inevitably have an effect on how people perform in the workplace.

Grit helps drive passion and performance Wherever we live, we live in a challenging world, so developing the characteristics for grit makes a difference if you want to be happy and successful.

Having grit can predict success in a lot of areas including relationships, work choices, ‘stickability’ and success in a job.

Meaningful work helps create happier, healthier organisations Happiness is a by-product of doing meaningful things.

If you want to find ways to improve your own happiness and that of people you work with, Seligman’s PERMA model is a great place to start.

P – Positive emotions. Try viewing the past, present and future in an optimistic way. Having positive emotions, such as those experienced when enjoying a task, has been shown to help people come up with creative and alternative solutions when faced with challenges.

E – Engaged. Do activities that you enjoy. Be absorbed, interested and involved in your work.

R – Relationships. It’s important to be connected, supported and valued by other people in your organisation. Having positive relationships with others is an important part of life, both in and out of work.

M – Meaning in life. Have a sense of purpose in your work/life. Meaning provides sense that your work matters.

A – Achievement. Making realistic goals and then achieving them at work and in your personal life can give a great sense of pride and fulfilment.

NEED A NEW website FOR YOUR SCHOOL? 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Our websites start from only $997+GST We can write all the content for you and load it We have made over 500 websites, so we know what we’re doing We have a 120 day money back guarantee People tell us our websites are the easiest to use, if you want to change any of the content, photos etc.

gary@fatweb.co.nz | 0800 444 090 | www.fatweb.co.nz

Part of the

www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 3, 2017 | 5

News | Principal Q&A

Principal Q&A

By Natalia Rietveld

It was 1995 when Paul McGuinness stepped into his role as principal at Campion College. He spoke to Principals Today about his impressive 22 years in the role and shares with us a style of teaching that aims to individualise learning for students via a programme that’s been running for three years.

What circumstances led you to become principal?

Gisborne is my home town. I started my teaching career in Gisborne schools. I moved from the senior management team at Gisborne Girls’ High School to the principal’s role at Campion in 1995. Campion College was also the school that I attended as a student.

Over the years the position has kept evolving so that my role now is totally different to the position that I came in to. There are greater accountability and compliance requirements and a stronger need for strategic thinking.

Much of my time now is spent in curriculum development and being involved in influencing learning through evidenced-based research on what initiatives make the most positive impact on student learning.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

Being part of something that makes a difference in the lives of students.

There is a great sense of personal satisfaction when you put initiatives in place that shape the culture and have a lasting and positive impact on students’ learning.

I think that it is relatively easy to put actions in place that bring a positive influence on learning over the short term, but it takes a greater effort to embed these initiatives into the culture of the college so that they become part of ‘what we do here’.

What have been your most memorable moments?

There have been numerous memorable moments. One in recent years was a senior student who built

Paul McGuinness

a light-weight drone that he had attached an infrared camera to the bottom of.

This was in the early days of drone use in New Zealand. The intent was that the student would use the drone to assist in search and rescue operations. I was telling some friends about this at a social gathering and one person said that it would never work due to the fact that it was too light and the wind would keep blowing it off course.

I went back to the student to explain that his project may not work. The student just looked at me in surprise and said that he had put a GPS system into the design and the drone self-corrected to take wind into account. He said that as though it was something that would naturally be included. In his world it was! This student was our earliest adopter of Impact Projects.

Can you elaborate on the Impact Projects that your students are involved with?

Impact Projects are one example of a range of strategies being introduced

into the college that focus on ways of organising learning for students based on research and current practice insights.

Students choose a project to complete that has a real world, authentic and relevant (to the student) context. The project must have the potential to have a positive impact on others in the community.

In particular, within our college, we promote an impact to assist those in our community who have fewer opportunities than others and those projects that have a positive effect on the environment.

Projects take place every Friday and go all day. Students complete the project over a semester. They then choose another project although some continue with the same project and complete it at a deeper level.

At the end of the semester the students exhibit their learning to the rest of the College and to the wider community. Students can link their learning back to NCEA so that the project becomes the prime driver of the learning and the NCEA assessment ‘falls out’ of the learning.

Where did this idea come from?

Personalising learning is at the heart of the New Zealand Curriculum and Ka Hikitia documents. Our conventional way of teaching is to teach a topic (or a Standard) to a class of students. We tend to aim our teaching to the middle group in the class and often the context is designed by the teacher and this may or may not have much meaning for each student.

In personalising learning you put the student, their prior knowledge and their interests at the centre of the learning process. The challenge is then how to develop different contexts for different groups of students. Part of this process involves students becoming more

independent in their learning and driving the learning.

Why do you think this style of learning is important?

Our aim is to link learning to the interests of students and to develop self-managing learners who can take control of their learning progress. This increases the chances of engagement from each student.

At the start of the project the learning intentions are developed from what the student already knows. The projects link learning across subjects so that learning is not compartmentalised and they often engage students in the wider community.

Students learn self-regulation skills along the way and they hit real world obstacles that they need to find solutions for. This builds their resilience in learning, their ability to negotiate with others on an authentic project and ways of working with others. These are all core skills that we talk of for 21st century learners.

What have you noticed among students partaking in these projects?

The students with successful projects are able to articulate a level of understanding of their learning that far surpasses anything else I have come across in my 40 years in education. The younger students embrace this style of learning with greater enthusiasm than senior students at this stage and this may, in part, be due to the way we have conditioned our senior students over time.

It will take a few years to build the culture and the skills required for all learners to take full advantage of the opportunities this new learning brings, but after four semesters we are excited with the progress in thinking that we have seen.

FUNDRAISING - A NEW INITIATIVE

ALL OUR DESIGNER SAFEBOTTLES ARE LIMITED EDITIONS!

Do you belong to a school, club or fundraising group?

We have the perfect solution to help you raise money easily!

So why should you fundraise with stainless steel SafeBottles in your school/workplace?

• • • • • • • •

18/8 food grade quality stainless steel Fits most cup holders Dishwasher safe Individually boxed 100% recyclable BPA-free, toxin-free and eco-friendly Various sizes and colours available 100% money back guarantee

SafeBottles Fundraising is a great way to help save the planet, save your health and raise money. For more information please visit www.safebottles.co.nz/fundraising

Call 0800 777 444, or go to www.safebottles.co.nz to order your SafeBottle today 6 | Term 3, 2017 www.principalstoday.co.nz

• • • • • • •

Durable and designed to last Free sports lid FDA approved Easy to clean Fits ice cubes Doesn’t retain or leach flavours No plastic liner.

News | Interview

Bucking the trend

By Natalia Rietveld

Deep Green Bush-School (DGBS) is the school that is testing society’s norms because society is constantly changing, but mainstream schooling doesn’t seem to be changing alongside it.

DGBS co-founder and head teacher Joey Moncarz says he recognises the social and historical roots of mainstream schools as “An environment designed at the dawn of the industrial revolution to respond to factory needs.

“It has been tweaked since then, but only very few have questioned whether it appropriately caters for human development.”

Joey has seen firsthand the effects of mainstream schooling on some children throughout his teaching career.

“We assume that children will not learn unless they are forced to – this is a myth,” Joey explains.

“Humans evolved to learn whatever is culturally important and for hundreds of thousands of years we have learned through observation and imitation – direct instruction is unnatural to us and is only a few hundred years old.”

DGBS is one of a kind, located in rural south Auckland, Joey says the school is a response to the endless stream of recent research in neuroscience, child development and evolutionary education psychology.

“It [DGBS] means that our students will actually enjoy their childhoods - because they’re given what is evolutionarily appropriate: freedom, nature, friendships and a safe and nurturing environment where they are allowed to develop in their own time.”

The DGBS is, he says, “the form of education appropriate for our species”.

One of the main questions Joey is asked in regards to his new education method, is “How are you ensuring children are learning the skills they

need for tertiary education and future employment?”

Yet the major complaints heard, time and again, from employers is that millenials are lacking practical skills and aren’t prepared for the real world.

“Emotional intelligence is what employers all want from their workers. You cannot school emotional intelligence, you can only nurture it under the right conditions.”

“We assume that children will not learn unless they are forced to – this is a myth.”

- Joey Moncarz

Joey says even New Zealand’s chief science advisor, professor Sir Peter Gluckman, warns that the evidence is mounting that maturity levels are being delayed more and more.

Joey says this is because “youth are constantly being told what to do, not allowed to think for themselves, overwhelmed with information rather than given life skills, and also because dependence on modern technology turns each of us into programmable machines.

“Surround children with books, writing and practical use of maths, and they will become interested in learning, you can be sure. This has been demonstrated by similar schools in England and the U.S. What’s forgotten is that play is the foundation for all human learning.”

DGBS is in its inaugural year and Joey is already starting to see his students develop a passion for the world they live in.

“They are developing eco-literacy; that is understanding that the world is interconnected and that all their actions have consequences.

“The atmosphere of the school is like a family- everyone is relaxed, everyone is comfortable to say what’s on their minds, and everyone loves being there. This is the optimal environment for the human brain to unfold.”

What parent doesn’t want their child to develop into a mature, wise and responsible young adult?

Schools should be a platform for children to do just that, yet so many children in New Zealand are struggling with the mainstream system and are leaving without basic qualifications. Ministry of Education statistics show that in 2015, of the 61,086 school leavers, 11.6 percent left before achieving NCEA level one.

At DGBS, NCEA will only be taught when and if the children want to learn it and even then Joey will encourage his students to think deeply about why they want to do it, because at the age of 20 you don’t need any NCEA qualifications to enroll at a university.

“We flatter ourselves by suggesting that much skill or intelligence is required for the jobs we end up with, or that mainstream schools will prepare kids for the real challenge, including the increasing lack of suitable jobs that will pay the rent and the declining value of university degrees,” he says.

Joey understands that his method is overwhelming for some people because they are challenging what we have become accustomed to.

“We are not just challenging the idea that you need to force kids to learn or that they need to be entertained or closely managed by adults we’re also challenging the industrial mindset, the technological mindset, the consumerist, needy and humanist mindset and the general arrogance of modern humans.”

- Joey Moncarz

also challenging the industrial mindset, the technological mindset, the consumerist, needy and humanist mindset and the general arrogance of modern humans.

“We need our kids to have a different mindset, a healthy mindset, who will be able to solve problems.

More of the same will only get us more of the same.”

Joey hopes his new approach will stir deep thinking and questioning about our industrial-technological culture.

“More gadgets aren’t making anyone happier or healthier.

“We want to challenge people to think about this one life they have, about the world they’re leaving to their kids, and give them the guidance that is so surely lacking.

“Our graduates will see the big picture and work on the real “We are not just challenging the idea challenges facing humanity, not that you need to force kids to learn or that they need to be entertained on inventing the next version of or closely managed by adults - we’re Xbox or iPhone.” www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 3, 2017 | 7

News | In education

Have your say

By Lydia Truesdale

Digital Technologies | Hangarau Matihiko curriculum open for review The recently proposed draft Digital Technologies | Hangarau Matihiko (DT|HM) curriculum is a bid by the Ministry of Education to incorporate digital technologies into the NZ education system to “change how we prepare our children and young people to participate, create and thrive in this fast-evolving digital world”.

In essence, DT|HM aims to strengthen the New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa to equip our learners for the increasingly digitalised workplace and society.

It will be flexible and responsive so that schools can tailor their teaching programmes to suit the needs and aspirations of their students and communities, whilst still receiving access to and familiarising themselves with the technologies prevalent in environments of today and the future.

The draft curriculum will be open for consultation until 3 September and is envisioned to be included in the National Curriculum – comprised of the New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa – from 2018.

The Ministry of Education is particularly keen to hear from the education and technology sectors as well as parents, students and their whanau.

Those wishing to make a submission of feedback can do so using the online survey tool on the Ministry’s website.

Workshops being held around the country during July and August will provide further opportunities to learn about the draft curriculum and deliver feedback.

Visit the Ministry of Education’s website to find out more about the proposed curriculum including when and where the workshops are on, register for the workshops and have your say.

Image courtsey of www.education.govt.nz

International education makes a significant economic and social contribution to New Zealand.

International education export earnings are in excess of $4 billion and well on the way to achieving the Leadership Statement for International Education goal of $5 billion earnings by 2025.

International Education Strategy open for review Tertiary education, skills and employment minister Paul Goldsmith announced in June a draft New Zealand International Education Strategy which is open for feedback until 31 August.

The Government’s vision is that “international education will continue to contribute to a vibrant and prosperous New Zealand”, and the strategy outlines the proposed actions the Government will take to support a sustainable, high quality international education sector that delivers net benefits to New Zealand.

The strategy makes clear the Government’s vision, goals and immediate priorities for international education to 2025.

“As a small Pacific nation, New Zealand relies on global trade and partnerships, and the exchange of ideas. International education

supports these endeavours,” the minister says.

Leading the strategy’s progression is Education New Zealand (ENZ) together with the Ministry of Education, who have developed the strategy with “input from the wider sector, including an online survey and a series of workshops in 2016 to identify future challenges and opportunities”.

A copy of the draft strategy can be found on the Ministry of Education’s website, and alongside it, options for providing feedback including an online survey, a series of workshops for the education sector and a session on the draft strategy during the NZIEC conference in August.

The strategy is expected to be finalised and an implementation plan developed for launch towards the end of 2017.

Key areas of financial risk in schools Specialising in delivering accounting solutions to schools We’ve been doing this for over 24 years and we’re proud of the reputation that we’ve gained along the way for our absolute commitment to getting things right.

We have a proven track record on delivering a responsive and innovative approach that meets the individual needs of every school.

Our team have a vast knowledge of schools and the way they work, and we’re always keen to help.

1 . Staffing While banked staffing does allow some flexibility, any overuse will have a financial impact. Support staffing levels also need to be considered. Unless directly funded it can be difficult to fund additional teacher aides in the school.

2. Depreciation budget Many argue that this is only a `book’ entry and therefore the budget for this may be understated or in some cases not included at all. However, this provides needed funds for asset replacement.

www.edtech.co.nz

3. Monthly reports Accurate, timely and effective reporting is key. Focus on what the BoT needs to know. Look at variances to budget or areas of concern rather than getting bogged down in the detail.

4. Operating budget This provides control and a measure of financial performance to date. To be useful the budget should reflect the actual expected outcome rather than a desired one.

5. Internal control Financial policies and procedures provide protection and assurance. To be effective, these need to be communicated and followed.

8 | Term 3, 2017 www.principalstoday.co.nz

News | School life

Staggered starts

By Natalia Rietveld

I have always thought that starting school as soon as you turn five is a rite of passage.

So when I first heard of the cohort entry proposal in the Education (Update) Amendment Act, which is currently before Parliament, I immediately thought ‘what a ridiculous idea.’

entirely on the individual child and parents know their children better than anyone. If your child isn’t ready, don’t send them to school.

Problem solved.

The earliest a child would start school is the term closest to their fifth birthday so they wouldn’t be four for long, if at all, anyway.

The more I looked into it though, the more it made sense to me.

As I stood at the back of my fouryear-old daughter’s kindergarten waiting to pick her up, I saw one more of her friends having her final mat time.

The children all paid their compliments and sang to her ‘happy school days’, my daughter then gave her a hug goodbye and said “I’ll miss you”.

And there it was, another one biting the dust.

Over the last term my daughter has said goodbye to at least five good friends, as they have left kindergarten and started their

school adventure, and it is definitely taking its toll on her.

She has one good friend left at kindergarten who is starting school three weeks before her, that’s a long three weeks at kindergarten with no children her own age to play with.

Strategy and Performance Group deputy secretary, Ellen MacGregorReid, says she is aware of a few schools in the North Island that are already encouraging parents to start their children on set dates throughout each term.

Not only does it mean more structure for the classroom, but for the likes

of my daughter, it would mean she could start school with her friends and not have to go through the emotion of losing friends one by one.

I realise life isn’t all fluffy bunnies and roses, and she will have many upsetting moments in her lifetime, but if I have the opportunity to take some of those hard times away I’m all for it.

Many articles are stating that fouryear-olds starting school is much too young, but parents still have the option if they want their children to start before their fifth birthday or after. Readiness for school depends

Ellen says, “the Education (Update) Amendment Act currently going through Parliament will require schools that wish to adopt cohort entry to first consult with parents, school staff and early learning services. School boards will also be required to give at least one term’s notice before the change takes effect so that those who will be affected have time to plan for the change.”

During the consultation period in 2015 cohort entry received good support from those who submitted, including from about 80 percent of teachers and 68 percent of board members, Ellen says.

So for those schools wishing to adopt the cohort entry system, I for one don’t see the harm in it and I know given the opportunity, my daughter would rather be heading off to school with her friends right about now as well.

CHANGE YOUR JOB CHANGE YOUR LIFE! Thousands of jobs ready & waiting for you right now!

Register now and receive FREE email alerts Never miss an opportunity Post your CV and get head hunted This is your job space, provided by kiwis, for the benefit of all kiwis.

Connecting job hunters and employers since 2006 MYJOBSPACE.CO.NZ | 0800 486 329 | 2 IVAN JAMIESON PLACE, CHRISTCHURCH AIRPORT, CHRISTCHURCH 8053, NZ.

www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 3, 2017 | 9

News | Working life

Education Council takes on upskilling The Government has decided to transfer responsibility for teachers’ Professional Learning and Development (PLD) from the Ministry of Education to the Education Council.

Education Minister Nikki Kaye says this means the total amount overseen by the Education Council over a three-year period for PLD, will be worth more than $200 million from the start of 2018.

“The Education Council is the independent body which promotes excellence and whose role is to share best practice in the education sector,” she says.

“It makes complete sense for the Council to take over responsibility for upskilling our teachers, especially as it has a broader statutory remit than the previous Teachers’ Council.

“We know the quality of teaching and leadership has a significant impact on student achievement, so it’s only right that we do as much as we can to support teachers, principals and other education staff to grow and develop, and for them to learn new skills and improve their teaching and learning practices.”

“The transfer has been planned since the start of the PLD redesign programme, and the Education Council has worked closely alongside the Ministry of Education through all the steps of this process.

I’m confident that the Education Council is well placed to take up this important responsibility.”

The Education Council was formed in 2015, replacing the previous Teachers’ Council. It’s responsible for establishing and maintaining the criteria for teacher registration, approving teacher education programmes and setting the criteria for qualifications that lead to teacher registration.

Annually around $65 million is invested in teachers’ PLD, and the Government will provide an additional $24 million over three years for Professional Learning and Development opportunities linked to the new digital technologies curriculum content, Nikki says.

The transfer is part of a wider redesign of support for teachers’ PLD, which has been underway for some time.

“This new investment comes on top of around $21 million of already expected spending on digital-related PLD. With the advent of changes to the curriculum, it’s crucial that teachers are well prepared to deliver the new content.

“The redesign aims to make PLD more responsive to the needs of teachers, education leaders and students, and build greater equity and excellence in priority areas of the curriculum,” she says.

“The Education Council will play a key role in developing the skills and understanding of teachers in the digital space, so we can truly become a digitally fluent nation.”

10 | Term 3, 2017 www.principalstoday.co.nz

Part-time teachers take a case for equality The PPTA and four PPTA members have lodged a legal case with the Employment Relations Authority and seek mediation to resolve the long-standing issue of part-time secondary teachers not receiving the same rate of non-contact time as full-time teachers.

PPTA president Jack Boyle says the PPTA has been trying to resolve this “injustice” for more than 16 years.

“We have developed and offered a myriad of solutions, with different models and flexible options. We have tried righting the discrimination through six rounds of collective bargaining of the Secondary Teachers Collective Agreement.

“There has been a long term workstream with the education ministry, facilitation with the Department of Labour and a four-year pay and employment equity review – and still no justice,” he says.

“There can be no doubt this inequity is deliberate. We’re tired of waiting for the Government to get a conscience; this time we’re taking it to the courts. The case is simple.

Every teacher should earn equal pay for equal work. We believe we have a very strong case and that we’ll win.”

Learning Space | Swimming pools

When it comes to swimming pool paint, only time will tell!

Keeping school pools afloat Water Safety New Zealand (WSNZ) is continuing its mission to help New Zealand’s schools keep their swimming pools open.

As a nation surrounded by water, it’s crucial our kids learn water safety skills and know how to swim to survive. The best place to do that is at a school pool.

Around 156 school pools have closed in the past several years and a further 130 nationwide are at risk of being shut down permanently.

These schools have exhausted all options – they’ve fundraised, sold keys and allocated what they can from their annual Ministry budgets

– there are simply not enough funds to go around.

Water Safety New Zealand’s (WSNZ) campaign to save New Zealand’s school pools from closing has received a major boost, thanks to global beauty brand Garnier.

Water Safety New Zealand CEO Matt Claridge says Garnier’s involvement has had a hugely positive impact on the initiative.

“School pools closing is a big issue.

We know that around 156 pools have closed in the past six years and a further 130 are at risk. We’re concerned that we may already be starting to see the impact of fewer school pools on the 15-24 age drowning toll.”

“We’re concerned that we may already be starting to see the impact of fewer school pools on the 15-24 age drowning toll.”

For further information and updates visit: www.watersafety.org.nz/ saveourschoolpools.

Information provided courtesy of www.watersafety.org.nz.

Repaint with EPOTEC HIGH BUILD EPOXY Used in New Zealand for 30 years and in Australia and Asia.

EPOTEC pool paint has been formulated specifically for use in swimming pools and has a proven record in school, domestic, large council and international theme parks.

BEFORE

Addressing declining levels of aquatic education Although International Water Safety Day was last May 15, the issue of water safety isn’t going anywhere – and is still a serious concern for all Kiwis – especially our kids.

Water Safety New Zealand (WSNZ) threw its full weight behind International Water Safety Day and its mission to raise awareness around water safety education.

International Water Safety Day is designed to help spread global awareness of the ongoing drowning pandemic, and educate the youth in becoming safer in and around water.

“WSFL is based on the best local and international research that tells us water survival skills should form the basis of aquatic education and presents the most effective way to improve water safety outcomes,” Jonty says.

A study recently commissioned by WSNZ set off alarm bells. Carried out by the New Zealand Council for Education Research, it found only around a quarter of schools (27 percent) provided a minimum acceptable combination of eight or more lessons of 26-30 minutes’ duration per year.

The lack of water safety education has propelled drownings worldwide.

“The implication of this decline is that more children are leaving school without necessary water skills and more New Zealanders will likely drown,” Jonty says.

WSNZ CEO, Jonty Mills, says this is why Water Skills For Life (WSFL) is being rolled out nationwide in response to declining standards of aquatic education.

New Zealand has one of the highest fatal drowning rates in the OECD. In 2016 there were 81 preventable deaths equalling the five-year average. This means 81 lives were

needlessly lost leaving families and communities devastated.

It is now accepted that the ability to swim on its own is not enough to save a life.

“New Zealanders need to be able to recognise hazards and make sensible decisions in, on and around water.

If it is adopted nationally WSFL will bring down our drowning toll.”

WSFL has the full endorsement of Swimming New Zealand (SNZ) and requires the commitment of schools at a national level. The skillset will also lead to greater participation in water-based sport and recreation including competitive swimming.

AFTER

Let us help you with your school pool: • Advise on preparation and repair • Supply of the most appropriate paint system • Help with monitoring painting progress • Training of local people/ working bees on painting if required School pool maintenance can be a big use of resource so make sure it is done once and done correctly.

“As a nation surrounded by water, ALL ENQUIRIES WELCOME learning practical water survival Call our technical experts on skills at an early age is essential. By learning WSFL not only will our kids learn to keep themselves safe, they or via www.cotec.co.nz will also be taking part in an active “Contact us page” programme that supports their health and wellbeing.” www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 3, 2017 | 11

09 837 0897

Healthy Space | School canteens

Waste not, want not Tackling food waste in your school canteen Food waste is a major problem in New Zealand.

Every year, Kiwis send more than 120,000 tonnes to landfill. That is equivalent to 213 jumbo jets of food that has to go somewhere to rot, instead of being eaten. All of this food is worth about $872 million each year.

Reducing food waste is not only good for the environment, it also saves money.

This is not only a household issue.

Food service settings are also large producers of food waste.

We know how important it is to keep the school canteen’s fridge, cupboard and fruit bowl well stocked. But without proper planning, it can be easy to order too much food, or the wrong type, and end up throwing large amounts away.

By planning ahead, and making appropriate purchasing and storage decisions, you can reduce food wastage, save time and money while also providing nutritious food to students.

HERE ARE OUR QUICK TIPS TO DO JUST THAT. Reality check To get an idea of how much you’re throwing away, set aside one week and write down everything that goes in the bin. Then add up the value of those discarded goods. You might be surprised. If you’re tossing half a loaf of bread each week, try freezing half a loaf at the start of the week.

Menu planning Plan a four-week menu to better guide your purchasing, storage and

stock decision. Taking time to think through the menu will also help you meet students’ nutritional needs.

Take stock Keep note of upcoming expiry dates of products. You can then incorporate these products into your menus. Keep a list of what’s in your freezer, plus expiry dates, and stick this to your freezer door.

Stock rotation When you’re unpacking new stock, move older products to the front of the fridge/freezer/pantry and put newer products at the back. This way you’re more likely to use the older products before they expire.

Store better If you’re regularly throwing away stale crackers or cereal, move these products into airtight containers or turn them into breadcrumbs.

Storage temp To prevent spoilage, store perishable fresh food at temperatures below 5°C (fridge, cool room, and freezer) and hot food above 63°C. Use it all When cooking, utilise every part of the ingredients you’re using. For example, leave the skin on potatoes or cook the broccoli steams as well as the florets.

Use leftovers Get creative! Leftover vegetables are great in a frittata, casserole or soup.

Re-use produce Produce doesn’t have to be thrown out if it’s over-ripe. Brown bananas can be used in baking or frozen for smoothies. Wilted vegetables are still great in soups.

Ordering Order smaller amounts more frequently and designate one staff member to do the ordering so you don’t double up.

Deliveries Carefully check all your deliveries for contamination, damage, use-by dates and correct storage temperature of fresh foods.

Grow your own Try growing your own herbs and vegetables. Children love getting hands-on and learning about where their food comes from. Having your own veggie patch means you can just walk outside and pick produce as required.

How can Fuelled4life help you?

Fuelled4life is based on the Ministry of Health’s Food and Beverage Classification System (FBCS).

It’s a free, practical tool which helps schools provide healthier foods. It aims to increase access for young people to healthier food and beverages, and to inspire food services to provide tasty, nutritious products.

Sign up to Fuelled4life One in three Kiwi kids is overweight or obese, but you can help change that.

If you are a teacher, principal, canteen manager, caterer or cook and would like to see your school offering healthier food and beverages, here’s what to do:

• Sign up to Fuelled4life for

loads of free resources to help you choose healthier options

• You’ll also get free access to

the Fuelled4life website and newsletter with tips, recipes, special deals and information on ways to improve nutrition in your school.

For more information or one-toone nutrition support, please contact the Fuelled4life team on 09 526 8550, email fuelled4life@ heartfoundation.org.nz or go to www.fuelled4life.org.nz.

12 | Term 3, 2017 www.principalstoday.co.nz

www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 3, 2017 | 13

Healthy Space | Allergies

Handling allergic reactions

Food allergy and anaphylaxis in schools Food allergy has significantly increased in prevalence in recent times, with some studies indicating a doubling in numbers in the last decade alone.

It is estimated one in 10 New Zealand children under the age of two will have a food allergy.

Although many children eventually out grow their food allergies, it is likely up to eight percent of school-age children will be affected, reducing to around five percent in adolescence.

And with the implementation of the new Health and Safety at Work Act, there’s never been a better time to look at your school’s health and safety procedures.

The main concern in respect to food allergy is the risk of anaphylaxis. This is where an allergic reaction, which can happen in minutes, causes swelling which affects the airways and/or the cardio-vascular system, and is potentially life threatening. Other aspects which make it challenging to manage include that:

• There is no cure or treatment (although

immunotherapy or desensitisation is possible in the future), so complete avoidance of the food concerned is the key to managing food allergy

• The foods concerned are primary items in the every-day diet of New Zealanders, i.e. cow’s milk (dairy), eggs, peanuts, tree-nuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat – and therefore very difficult to avoid

• Intra-muscular injection of adrenaline is the only treatment for anaphylaxis outside a hospital setting. Adrenaline auto-injectors e.g. EpiPen, are designed to give a premeasured one-dose injection and are easy to use. However, they are not subsidised in New Zealand (although funded in Australia and many other countries), and may be unaffordable for some families.

14 | Term 3, 2017 www.principalstoday.co.nz

Schools should have policies and procedures in place with three key objectives:

• Staff are able to respond appropriately if a

student has an anaphylactic (life-threatening) reaction

• Risk is minimised through strategies enabling the student to avoid exposure to the food(s) concerned

• Students with food allergies are able to

participate in all school activities as their peers.

First aid training, required for a certain number of staff under health and safety legislation, includes the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis and the emergency response.

In many areas, public health nurses can also arrange anaphylaxis training sessions for school staff, usually at the beginning of the school year.

EpiPens are currently the only adrenaline autoinjector available in New Zealand and are not subsidised by PHARMAC. For at least some students, they are unaffordable, and for this reason more and more schools are moving to include EpiPens in their first aid kits.

It is recommended schools extend policies and procedures to include these ‘general use’ pens; guidelines in relation to these and provided by the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) are also available on Allergy New Zealand’s website.

Free resources and links, including Allergy New Zealand’s guidelines for schools, and online anaphylaxis training for school staff, can be found on www.allergy.org.nz, or you can call 0800 34 0800 for further information.

Article provided by Penny Jorgensen, allergy advisor for Allergy New Zealand Inc

How to keep your classroom germ-free this winter Cold and flu season is well and truly upon us and while it is inevitable some of your students will fall ill, there are measures you can take to help reduce the spread of bugs.

Keep your students healthy and in attendance this winter by doing your bit to create a healthy classroom environment.

Wash hands - Washing hands after using the bathroom should be a given, but students can become lazy and neglectful. Remind them it’s important to properly wash their hands with warm water and soap after using the bathroom. It takes about 20 seconds of washing to thoroughly kill germs. It is also a good idea to wash hands before eating too.

Disinfect high traffic areas Clean commonly touched surfaces such as door knobs, tables and books with a disinfectant spray.

Provide hand sanitizer - Make hand sanitizer freely available in your classroom and encourage your students to use it. A quick squirt after a sneeze is a good idea.

Don’t share germs - Explain to your students that they mustn’t share things like drink bottles or chap sticks with their friends, because they are covered in germs and easily pass on illness.

Toss tissues – Provide tissues in your classroom and encourage your students to throw them away after one use. Used tissues harbour germs and can spread sickness quickly if left lying around.

Into the elbow – Cough and sneeze into the elbow or upper arm rather than into your hand. The solid part of the arm is better at blocking germs from spreading than your hand and it keeps down the number of germy palms.

Healthy Space | Tools

Beating the bullies KiVa is resulting in bullying reduction for NZ students

Helping kids cope All Right? has launched a free wellbeing toolkit to support young people with their mental health and wellbeing.

We’ve piloted Sparklers in several Canterbury schools and the response has been amazing. Schools are incredibly enthusiastic about Sparklers and the activities are making a real difference,” Harith says.

Named Sparklers, the toolkit consists of 36 activities that teachers can use to help their Year 1-8 students feel calmer, happier and more ready to learn.

Sue Turner, All Right? manager, says that while Sparklers had its genesis in recovery from the greater Christchurch earthquakes, its content is relevant to tamariki throughout New Zealand.

The activities take between 10 minutes and one hour, are aligned with the school curriculum, and cover a wide range of wellbeing topics including managing emotions, living in the moment, being grateful and showing kindness.

Dr Lucy Hone, research associate at AUT University’s Human Potential Centre and All Right? Advisory Committee member, says Sparklers will help young people learn the skills they need to build positive mental health.

“Sparklers enables young people to learn strategies that improve wellbeing and build resilience.

The activities are designed to help students feel good and function well, and improve their ability to cope with change and navigate the challenges life throws at them,” Lucy says.

Dr Hone says student wellbeing is strongly linked to learning. “Students with high levels of wellbeing make better learners, find it easier to focus in the classroom and are able to build stronger and meaningful relationships.”

Dr Harith Swadi, Canterbury DHB’s clinical director for Child Adolescent and Family, says Sparklers has been developed in response to requests from schools for more support to meet the wellbeing needs of Canterbury students post-quake.

“Schools are crying out for more support so they can meet their students’ wellbeing needs. There’s a tremendous desire amongst schools to do more in the wellbeing area, but up until now there hasn’t been a lot of practical guidance on how to go about it,” Harith says.

“Sparklers pulls together evidencebased wellbeing activities in a way that’s easy to implement in the classroom. The activities are simple, easy and proven to work.

“We think of Sparklers as a kind of gift to the nation. It’s a really positive thing that’s come out of the earthquakes, and its benefits will extend far beyond Canterbury.”

Sue says in addition to the 36 activities for teachers, All Right? has created six parenting guides.

“The parenting guides provide handy tips and tricks on the key areas parents often ask about, including how to help your child be calm, be grateful and manage worries.

KiVa, an anti-bullying approach for schools, is in its third year for some New Zealand schools.

that is short and effective. Whilst a clear message is conveyed that bullying behaviour is never OK, there is support, rather than punishment, to help change behaviour.

Accent Learning, New Zealand’s KiVa licence holder, can report that there is on average a 10 percent reduction in bullying incidents, with some schools demonstrating over 20 percent.

All programmes begin with teacher training followed by a parent evening to describe KiVa, explain why the school is involved and outline the parents’ role.

This mirrors what is happening in other countries implementing KiVa and what has happened over the last 10 years in Finland. Percentages like these represent thousands of students who say their situation has improved.

Three different age levels are addressed through KiVa – Unit 1 for junior primary, Unit 2 for senior primary and Unit 3 for junior secondary. Units 1 and 2 have online interactive games that support classroom lessons. Students get a password to access these online anti bullying tools which they can share with the family.

KiVa is designed as a whole school approach with parents playing an important role.

There are three main components: 1. Monitoring: The school gets analysed student data giving them a clear picture for their school and how they compare with other NZ KiVa schools. They get other useful information such as numbers of referrals which can be compared term by term.

2. Prevention: There are classroom lessons that aim to change bullying attitudes and behaviour whilst equipping students with strategies and confidence to defend. A key outcome is to support bystanders to become defenders.

3. Intervention: The school KiVa Team is trained to deal with bullying incidents. They follow a clear process

The New Zealand picture is this: there are approximately 750,000 students in New Zealand schools.

Statistics tell us approximately 20 percent of New Zealand students are bullied, so we are talking about 150,000 of our young people who are relentlessly targeted.

If we had KiVa in all our schools a 10 percent improvement over just one year would mean that life for 15,000 of our students would improve in the first year! Every child has the right to feel accepted and to feel safe at school.

Accent Learning (04) 463 9612 deidre.vercauteren@accent.ac.nz www.kivaprogram.net/nz

“Raising a resilient and happy child isn’t always easy but there are things parents and carers can do that can make a big difference. Just like us, tamariki face daily demands and worries. Knowing what these are and the best ways to address them can prevent little things turning into really big things,” Sue says.

The Mental Health Foundation’s general manager Daemon Coyle says Sparklers represents an important step for New Zealand in increasing its efforts to promote wellbeing and reduce the prevalence of mental illness.

KiVa Means Kind or Nice

“This programme will help to empower young people, teachers and whanau to have courageous conversations about mental health,” Daemon says.

KiVa is a school community approach to bullying prevention.

It is designed first and foremost to create a school climate unaccepting of bullying and instead, encouraging of empathy and positive social behaviours.

KiVa students are equipped with strategies and confidence to act and defend.

“It is crucial for us to give young people skills and tools to build positive mental health and wellbeing to support and sustain them throughout their lives.”

Sparklers has been made possible thanks to funding from the Canterbury Earthquake Appeal Trust and Canterbury District Health Board and support from the Canterbury DHB’s Community and Public Health (CPH) and School Based Mental Health Team.

By working together, our students can reduce bullying

To learn more, contact Deidre at: deidre.vercauteren@accent.ac.nz or visit: www.kivaprogram.net/nz

To find out more about Sparklers, visit www.allright.org.nz/sparklers. www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 3, 2017 | 15

Working Space | Performing arts

Working Space | Technology

Stages and seating designed for high performance

$40m digital fluency package

Stronglite Staging’s range of performance stages and staging equipment are made in New Zealand to the highest standards.

The list of what’s on offer is impressive and includes: • Stage platforms • Choir, chorus, orchestra and audience seating risers • Portable grandstands • Ramps and bridges • Steps • Lecterns • Ballet barres • Trolleys • Drapes and frames • Group photographic stands Wenger products USA. Stronglite Staging® supply safe, durable, versatile, simple and easy to use equipment to support your performance or presentation. All products are compliant with the latest health and safety standards and codes.

Take your pick: a stage extension, catwalk, seating by the pool or field, dance, choir, orchestra practise or theatrical shows, kapa haka and more. Invest in quality by Stronglite Staging®.

KEY FEATURES Strength: Stronglite Stage and Seating products are designed and

manufactured to be strong and durable and are tested to make sure they meet our high standards of performance under live and static load conditions.

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

Safety: Engineer’s design certification, documented test results, qualified tradespeople, monitoring of product in the workplace, established safe working loads, and our products conform to or exceed industry regulations and guidelines.

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

Versatility: Particular attention has been paid to designing stage/seating systems that are multi-use wherever possible, including indoor and outdoor use.

Portability: We design for easy handling, transporting and storage, eg. choir risers fold up and wheel away, equipment quickly disassembles for easy transport and storage.

Achieve your best with the Stronglite Staging® range of top quality products.

Stronglite Staging® Limited Sales 0800 78 78 99 Hires 0800 12 12 33 www.stronglite.co.nz

“In the supporting role”

Education Minister Nikki Kaye has announced an investment package of around $40 million over three years to enhance the digital fluency of New Zealand students.

The package includes $24 million of new and $16 million of existing funding, and comes on top of:

• The Government’s $700 million investment to enhance school connectivity

• $21 million over three years already prioritised for teachers’ digital technologies related professional learning and development (PLD).

“This investment will support the biggest change to our curriculum in 10 years,” she says.

“Digital fluency is now an essential life skill for our young people, so we must ensure they have the skills and knowledge they need to engage in an increasingly digital world.”

IS SET! THE STAGE Stage Sections, Portable Grandstands, Choir, Orchestra and Audience Risers, Kapa Haka Stages, Drapes, Steps, Lecterns, Trolleys, Ramps and Ballet Barres.

Top quality, NZ made products, designed to be safe and easy to handle and store.

Guaranteed to perform.

Currently installed in many schools, universities & performance venues. ®

Stronglite Staging Ltd is also the authorised NZ Agent for products.

0 78 78 99 SALES 080 0 12 12 33 HIRES 080

www.stronglite.co.nz 16 | Term 3, 2017 www.principalstoday.co.nz

“This investment will help integrate new digital technologies content into the New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, our Māori-medium Curriculum.

“It includes a number of initiatives aimed at helping to upskill our teachers, support a seamless shift of our education system to a digital environment, and provide more opportunities for young people to learn about digital technologies.”

The Minister announced the package alongside the launch of consultation into the new draft

Digital Technologies | Hangarau Matihiko curriculum.

“Digital technologies are revolutionising how we live and work and influencing every facet of our lives. To participate successfully in society and get the jobs and careers they want, our children will need to be confident users and creators of digital technologies.

“Digital fluency is now an essential life skill for our young people, so we must ensure they have the skills and knowledge they need to engage in an increasingly digital world.”

The package consists of three key parts.

1. Initiatives to upskill teachers “It’s important that teachers have the necessary knowledge and capability to teach the new curriculum content, so we’ll be investing $24 million of new money towards additional professional learning and development for teachers.

“This investment will ensure all children, every year have teachers with the right skills, knowledge and confidence to teach the new curriculum content. Over 40,000 teachers will have access to the support they need over the next two years.”

2. Initiatives to support shift to a digital system “We will invest over $7 million in a number of initiatives to help shift education to a digitally-oriented system.

“This is about supporting more teaching and learning in a digital format, as well as the move to online exams.”

3. Initiatives to provide more digital learning opportunities “We will be investing around $7.5 million to inspire young people to think digitally when coming up with ideas and solving challenges, and make sure more students, regardless of background, can access digitallyrich learning environments,” she says.

Save your school time and money - upgrade your SNUP network!

Ministry of Education-approved SNUP contractor, Allied Telesis and its channel partners, are currently providing schools with a cost-effective way to enhance their wired and wireless SNUP networks with a special, limited-time offer of extended warranties and subsidised trade ups.

it to become an official Ministry of Education SNUP contractor five or six years ago and it has maintained that status to this day.

Its technologies are designed and developed from its research centre in Christchurch – just a stone’s throw from New Zealand’s fastest growing region, Selwyn District – where the company can keep its finger on SNUP to the rescue the pulse of New Zealand’s thriving Since its inception in 2013, the School education sector.

Network Upgrade Project (SNUP for short) has helped over 2,431 New Allied Telesis New Zealand manager, Zealand schools receive the ICT Paul Batchelor, points out that infrastructure required to access fast schools will experience ample and reliable internet. benefits by enhancing their ICT capabilities.

Allied Telesis’ innovative, dedicated approach to improving New Zealand A fast, easily operable ICT system schools’ digital environment helped encourages increased student

interest in learning and benefits staff and schools through monetary savings, and by eliminating the unnecessary time (and frustration!) spent navigating archaic or slow ICT systems.

Call Allied Telesis or your local systems integrator today and mention this ad to receive extended warranty and a subsidised upgrade offer to your school’s SNUP network, saving in time and money!

ALLIED TELESIS NEW ZEALAND Contact: Paul Batchelor (04) 566 443 | 021 660 347 paul.batchelor@alliedtelesis.net.nz

www.alliedtelesis.com

All about flexible learning At Woods, we believe that education is of the utmost importance – not just for the children of today but for our world tomorrow.

This belief has driven our team, for over half a century, to study how children learn – from a behavioural, ergonomic and cognitive perspective – and to develop furniture that is flexible, adaptable and stimulating.

Our product range positively enhances the educational environment, ensuring our children are reaching their full learning potential.

Though it may not be known by many, Woods has been supplying products to the New Zealand market through a sales agency since 1996. And while we have had much success with our ever-popular PantoFlex chair, Hokki stool and DuraPos chair, we felt it was time to make our entire product range available to New Zealand customers.

Therefore, we’re extremely excited to introduce our full range of products which inspire education and allow students to perform better in a flexible and stimulating setting.

There is an added benefit here – value for money; by buying direct from the manufacturer, on-selling costs are a thing of the past.

At Woods, not only are we committed to providing inspired and flexible learning environments, we are also passionate about providing a better world for future generations.

At our factory we have adopted processes of utilising solar power, harvesting rainwater, waste minimisation, resource conservation, recycling and sustainable manufacturing decisions and processes.

WE’RE FOR FLEXIBLE LEARNING.

It is this consideration that sets us apart and this is the contribution we are making to the world of tomorrow.

Additionally, we proudly manufacture our products to the highest quality standards, of AS/NZS 4610, ensuring our products meet the demands of classrooms today and well into the future. We back this promise with a 10 year warranty on the entire Woods range.

“

We believe that furniture can improve the learning environment.

”

“

We create furniture that inspires and enables students to reach their full learning potential, and contributes to a better future for them and our planet.

”

Catering to students at all levels far and wide Woods supplies furniture to preschools, kindergartens, primary schools, high schools and tertiary institutions throughout Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East.

Setting the standard Woods Student Chairs conform to the highest standards: AS/NZS 4610.2, AS/NZS 4610.3, ISO 5970 and EN 1729.

Flexible learning solutions Project and team work, social learning and collaborative behaviour need the high flexibility that Woods’ designs offer. With a large range of products tested and approved by AFRDI, Woods can confidently guarantee their furniture for 10 years.

Flexible Flexible furniture such as desks and Storage Porters™ on castors allow for the interior space of the room to be changed around to suit various activities.

Adaptable Adaptable furniture such as Iris Tables™, Byte Tables and Triquetra Pods™ can be used for collaborative learning styles and also as individual desks.

Stimulating Stimulating learning environments are made easy with Woods’ colours and imaginative shapes that have been designed by experts to improve the pedagogy. Woods’ colours, product designs and expertise in creating successful learning environments bring education to life.

Environmentally friendly Woods is committed to a more sustainable world for future generations. Now, perhaps more than ever before in human history, we need to be acutely aware of our ‘footprint’ on the earth. So we are playing our part in reducing the impact of the industry on the environment and all the company’s products are developed with this key criteria in mind.

Product range Seating solutions The Woods Educational Furniture range offers seating for your school including seating for classrooms, science, art, music, computer seminars and conferences.

Security lockers The Woods Educational Furniture Security Locker range and storage solutions are available in numerous configurations, to suit any school environment from corridors to sporting facilities.

Student desks Woods Educational Furniture manufactures a range of tables and desks including classroom tables, computer desks, workstations, staff desks, meeting tables, multi-purpose benches and adjustable tub desks.

To find out more about our innovative range of educational furniture contact: Richard Jenkins – General Manager on 027 2056 440 or email richard@woodsfurniturenz.co.nz

Working Space | Fire protection

Fire safety design Following the Ministry’s Fire and Safety Design Requirements for Schools means that you, as a board of trustees, will comply with the legislation around fire safety when you do any building work at your school.

the Ministry’s standard specification for fire alarms.

The Requirements cover design, fire alarms, emergency exits a nd sprinklers.

Your project manager should also ensure there is a comprehensive brief on fire issues before the design and construction. The brief must cover:

Fire and Safety Design Requirements for Schools Fires at schools can be traumatic for the entire school community. You can lessen the fire risk by having buildings that are designed with fire safety in mind.

The Fire and Safety Design Requirements for Schools tell you how to protect your school from fires.

Make sure the consultants you use on the project, such as your project manager, architect and engineer, have a copy of the Requirements.

The Requirements include: How new buildings or alterations need to be designed for fire safety, the legal requirements around fire safety, and

What to consider when starting a construction project Your project manager should contact the New Zealand Fire Service before any design work starts for a new building or alteration.

• How the building will be

certified, for example, by an approved expert

• The intended use of the building, for example, how any hazardous substances will be stored

• The building design and its location in relation to other buildings

• The building’s services, for example, the heating and ventilation system

• Access for fire services, for

example, where water supplies are located.

Around 75 percent of fires are put out by a single sprinkler, and 96 percent are put out by fewer than four sprinklers.

Installing sprinkler systems Sprinklers minimise damage because they come on one at a time when they reach a certain temperature. Around 75 percent of fires are put out by a single sprinkler, and 96 percent are put out by fewer than four sprinklers.

The Requirements specify when you need to install sprinklers. However, schools are encouraged to install sprinklers when you are doing building work, as they limit the loss of resource material and reduce the need for other fire protection systems.

Dealing with false alarms The New Zealand Fire Service can charge you for false alarms. Always ask your fire alarm provider why false alarms have happened.

You can also ask your local fire brigade. If you cannot resolve the issue, then contact your property advisor.

Paying for fire protection The cost of fire protection, like sprinklers or alarms, is generally part of the project budget for a new building or alteration.

Pay for the costs of maintaining the system using your Property Maintenance Grant (PMG) funding.

If you’re replacing or upgrading the system, this may be a capital cost, which will come from your 5 Year Agreement (5YA) funding. To pay for fire extinguishers, use your furniture and equipment funding.

Information provided courtesy of www.education.govt.nz.

When the weather is more unpredictable than your students!

Double your learning area and have fun outside even when it’s raining.

With clear drop down sides you can create a sheltered outdoor room that has many uses.

Fresco canopies can be used to link buildings and create a totally flexible space that can be used year round. Our strong PVC roof blocks 99% of UV rays, making it a Sunsmart choice.

20 | Term 3, 2017 www.principalstoday.co.nz

v Extend your usable space v Shade and shelter for students all year round v Keep classrooms cooler in summer and increase productivity! v Modern curved shape enhances any environment v Also great for pools, walkways, entrances and school shops We have many delighted customers in the educational sector, and are happy to provide references on request.

Outdoor Living Solutions

For an obligation free quote

0800 FRESCO 0800 373 726

frescoshades.co.nz

Working Space | School photography

Picture this Youngsters schooled by world-famous photographer Their eyes are sparkling and their grins are wide – and they are all over the walls of Hastings City Art Gallery.

The culmination of five weeks’ work

by Kimi Ora Community School students with internationally acclaimed photographer Edith Amituanai has morphed into a full exhibition. Two thirds of the art on show is by the mainly 10 and 11 year olds.

NEIGHBOUR. From the series The End Of My Driveway

The exhibition, #keeponkimiora, opened in June with a busload of the students arriving for the opening to see their work on the walls of the gallery for the first time.

In between weeks of workshops and photography trips out into the community and to the beach, the children borrowed Amituanai’s camera and framed their own photographs at home and in the community playgrounds.

Amituanai said the children had an instinctive response to photography, and knew exactly what they wanted to achieve. “We talked about the stories they wanted to tell, and their audience. With the older children we also talked about light and

of photography and talked about how to decide between them, but inherently they knew what to do,” she says.

For Kimi Ora Community School principal, Matt O’Dowda, the experience was “priceless”. composition; went out and took photos and then reviewed them; going over what they liked or would change next time.”

Amituanai had a lot of experience teaching across all age groups and said it was not about teaching the children to take photos in her style – rather, letting them find their own. “We looked at different genres

“Our kids would never normally have the opportunity to work with an internationally-famous photographer or use the type of camera Edith provided them with; never mind being exposed to having their own exhibition in the city gallery.”

He said the kids were “blown away” when they saw their work for the first time on opening night. “The size of

the photos, the way they looked, and that all of these people had come to see them.”

There were ongoing benefits to the children, he said. “We took them to the Lego exhibition, then to another exhibition, and now their own exhibition. As a result, they will grow into adults who are entirely comfortable with galleries; it’s not this big scary thing that holds art they don’t understand.”

The exhibition #keeponkimiora is at Hastings City Art Gallery, Civic Square, Hastings, until September 3.

For more on Edith Amituanai’s work see: www.edithamituanai.com.

CREATIVE PORTRAITS FOR MODERN SCHOOLS W hen you choose Inspire, you’ll find we’re more than just a friendly and professional school photography service.

W e know how to get the best out of your children and we take the kind of photos parents love to buy.

SCHOOL SAFETY IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY By using Securefence and scaffold you can rest assured that your objectives of safety, cost and meeting deadlines are of our paramount importance to us.

builder if he’s “ Ask your using Securefence

“

and scaffold – it will save you money.

0800 66 00 22 www.securefence.co.nz | www.securescaffold.co.nz 336 Te Ngae Road, Rotorua 3010 | Level 6, 10 Scotia Place, Auckland, 1010 49 Montgomery Crescent, Upper Hutt, Wellington 2 Ivan Jamieson Place, Christchurch Airport, Christchurch 8053, NZ

04 384 8009

www.inspirefundraisers.net.nz

22 | Term 3, 2017 www.principalstoday.co.nz Inspire 2017.indd 1

18/07/17 1:20 PM

Working Space | Technology

Make a great first impression Your school’s brand is its calling card to the world - its chance to make a great first impression, to convey its values, culture and professionalism, and to differentiate it from the crowd. It’s crucial you getit right.

The team at Critical Mass has been collaborating with schools for over 15 years, helping them communicate their values, achievements and aspirations. Whether it’s a yearbook, prospectus, website, signage, logo or complete brand review, they do it all. “It’s very important your school’s identity aligns across all communication channels, providing a strong consistent brand story that its community, students and staff can proudly stand behind,� says Critical Mass creative partner Jon Evans.

He and business partner Kirsten Henderson and their creative team can help integrate your school’s website with Schoolapps, Google apps and newsletters to strengthen engagement between parents and school. “Many schools struggle to communicate with parents, despite

the online tools available. We can ensure that parents receive the information that’s relevant for their child,� Jon says.

Critical Mass recently completed a brand update for Auckland’s Rutherford College which included professional photography, a digital kerb sign and a full range of communication materials and enrolment packs, and the team is now working on a new website. “We are extremely pleased with the quality and professional look of our marketing and the whole school image,� says Rutherford College principal Gary Moore. “The team at Critical Mass is great to work with, they really listened to us and as a result of their influence and guidance we are very proud of the results. We highly recommend them to every school, big or small.�

Green Bay High School publications manager, Claire Manukia says Critical Mass has allowed them to think outside the square. “Each year we tried to refresh the look of our school magazine, deadlines were becoming a nightmare and the visual component just didn’t ‘pop’ anymore. “We were thrilled with the ongoing support from Critical Mass, there were no hidden costs and our initial

- Students from Rutherford College, Auckland

ideas and suggestions were further developed to target our global market (locally, nationally and internationally). “The team at Critical Mass allowed us to inspire the creative, and did not dictate—and that’s exactly what we were after: something to make us stand out from the rest.�

St Peter’s College in Auckland says the school has worked with Critical Mass since 2010, when it desperately needed its yearbook to be updated and redesigned. “Instinctively, Critical Mass knew what to do, and ever since have consistently produced for us a high

quality, modern and attractive Yearbook,� they say. “We’re extremely confident in using our Yearbooks as part of our local and international marketing recruiting process.�

Are you proud or the image your school projects? Does it reflect your strengths and pride? “We work in partnership to capture the essence of a school and apply that across everything they do. We want parents, students and staff to be proud of their school’s image,�

Jon says.

Visit: www.cmcschools.co.nz or call (09) 580 0069.

LOGO/BRAND • YEARBOOKS • PROSPECTUS • WEBSITES • NEWSLETTERS • STATIONARY • SIGNAGE If you have been wondering how to streamline your schools communication and integrate your notices, newsletters, website, apps and calendars – then we would love to hear from you. :H ZLOO FUHDWH D VWURQJ VFKRRO EUDQG WKDW VWXGHQWV SDUHQWV DQG VWDÎ? ZLOO EH SURXG RI DQG WKHQ KHOS \RX promote your values and achievements using proven, successful school marketing techniques and online tools.

Call us for a chat 09 580 0069

See some of our work www.cmcschools.co.nz www.principalstoday.co.nz   Term 3, 2017 | 23

THINKING ABOUT AN APP FOR YOUR SCHOOL? Not all school apps are created equal.

WE believe we have the best functionality, and easiest to use app available in NZ.

MySchool Apps

How does MySchoolApps work?

As soon as your school registers with MySchoolApps we will configure your school mobile app. This is a fast process, enabling your school to quickly start creating content categories and uploading notifications and/or documents.

WHAT DOES MYSCHOOLAPPS OFFER?

WHAT IS MySchoolApps?

MySchoolApps is an easy to use app which immediately provides parents and caregivers with everything they need to know about what is happening at the school.

MySchoolApps is a convenient, reliable way to receive school notifications.

Gone are the days of notices getting lost in children’s schoolbags!

MySchoolApps’ flexibility means it can offer: • Unlimited free instant Push message notifications (Push anything instantly) • Unlimited Push message categories for parents to subscribe to: Alerts - Events - News - Newsletters - Timetables • Information pages (create unlimited content pages easily and quickly) • Permission notes • Parent eForms for Sick Note/Absent and Change of Details

With MySchooApps school notices, newsletters, any alerts, or other important information will be communicated directly and immediately to the parents or caregiver’s smartphone.

• Links to website pages

MySchoolApps communicates directly with iPhone, iPad, Android, and Windows Phone devices.

• Create your own unlimited custom eForms with payment and signatures if required

SCHOOL SIGN UP Schools can sign up for a 30 day trial of MySchoolApps at our website www.myschoolapps.co.nz If you choose to trial MySchoolApps, you will receive the full functioning iPhone, iPad, and Windows Phone version to trial in your school for 30 days.

If you choose to subscribe to MySchoolApps after the trial, we will then build the full functioning Android version.

If you choose not to go ahead, we will simply remove the iPhone app from the Apple App Store.

• Embedded PDF documents • Embedded videos/maps and GPS directions

• Unlimited content categories (created easily and quickly) • RSS Feed and Google Calendar integration • Social media integration with Twitter and Facebook • Social media sharing (option for parents/students to share app content on their own Facebook/Twitter feeds ) • Website integration (post content once and publish everywhere) Includes free MySchoolApps website which syncs seamlessly with the app • Reply by SMS and email (great for parent/student feedback) • Unlimited photo galleries (create a photo gallery on any content entry) • Password protected content.

MySchoolApps is easy to update PRICING Ask if your school qualifies for a free app. We do this by placing tasteful advertising on some of the pages. Or set up is $1250+gst + $2 per student per year.

We will also make a free website for your school that seamlessly integrates the app.

However if you’re happy with your existing site we can integrate with that too.

Teachers and staff can update the status of any event with the easy to use admin tools from their computer or their smartphone.

www.myschoolapps.co.nz

We will also make a FREE website for your school that seamlessly integrates the app.

However if you’re happy with your existing site we can integrate with that too.

For any queries, phone Julianne Eady on (03) 961 5050 email: julianne@academy.net.nz

trusted since 1980