Mighty moves JUMP JAM creator Brett Fairweather’s mission to get kids moving
EDUCATION IN AN EJECTOR SEAT Hands-on learning at the Air Force Museum
SUPPORTING SIMPLE CHANGES
RURAL CONNECTIONS
A case study about helping a gender diverse child
Insights into an integrated curriculum
BOOSTING WELLBEING AND RESILIENCE Tools to help stundents' mental wellbeing
Organic goodness Changing the way kids think about food
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Despite education’s evolution, the challenges remain the same ISSN 1170-4071 HAVE THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE SEEN THIS?
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CONTENTS IDEAS 6: DEVELOPING CONSERVATION In KIDS The value of incorporating conservation in your curriculum
9: RURAL CONNECTIONS Collingwood Area School principal Caroline Gray delivers insights about an integrated curriculum
CIRCULATION
Info
Issue #119, Term 3, 2018
WWW.PRINCIPALSTODAY.CO.NZ
11: MIGHTY MOVES
JUMP JAM creator Brett Fairweather talks about getting kids moving
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8: LIFELONG LEARNING AND A MODERN WORKFORCE
PPTA president Jack Boyle says despite education’s evolution, the challenges and responsibilities remain the same
10: DIGITAL FUTURES IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM
How do we know we are getting it right?
19: ORGANIC GOODNESS Changing the way kids think about food
28: EDUCATION IN AN EJECTOR SEAT Hands-on learning at the Air Force Museum
Tools 12: BOOSTING WELLBEING AND RESILIENCE
Tools to help students' mental wellbeing
12: SUPPORTING SIMPLE CHANGES A case study in providing support to a gender diverse child
14: ANSWERING CRIES FOR HELP The 24-7 YouthWork network working to support young people and their communities
21: GREEN HEATING Converting old coal boilers into sustainable wood-based heating systems
ABC circulation as at 30/03/17 ISSN 1170-4071 (Print) | ISSN 2230-6358 (Online)
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4 | Term 3, 2018 www.principalstoday.co.nz J012590 Airpoints for Schools Principals V2.indd 1
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Lincoln does more to help our students grow. We offer them the skills to achieve their study goals. That’s why nearly all of our bachelor-level students successfully complete their courses.
As New Zealand’s economy grows ever more diverse, we keep pace. We are well placed to offer relevant learning that draws from the past and provides the skills for tomorrow. A Degree That Works From Agribusiness to Landscape Architecture, Viticulture and Oenology to Tourism, Lincoln offers a wide range of degrees relevant for today and ready for the future. Digging Deeper Lincoln’s renowned 27,000sqm Joint Facility supports collaboration between up to 900 researchers. Lincoln has a higher number of academics producing world-class research, relative to size, than any other university in New Zealand.
The Grass Is Greener Rather than trying to stretch ourselves across everything, we put our resources into what we’re truly best at. Our history is land-based and that’s where our future lies. If your student does too, they’re on the right side of the fence at Lincoln. World’s 15th Best Small University * We’re footing it with the very best. Lincoln University is recognised around the world as an outstanding small university that delivers quality learning and achieves exceptional results.
Our Doors Are Open Our staff pride themselves on always being available to students. Our opendoor policy is there to offer support so they get the most from their studies. Keeping It Green So much of what we do at Lincoln University involves land and how we treat the planet. Our world-leading research includes groundbreaking innovations to mitigate emissions, alternative fuels and sustainable tourism. Help your students grow their future. Point them towards Lincoln University.
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News | Conservation
Developing conservation kids Conservation education provides students with an authentic, real-life context to base their learning on, and an opportunity to connect with their local community in a meaningful way. Conservation education encompasses the very things we identify as being ‘Kiwi’. It’s about our natural environment - the plants, animals and birds that live in our backyards, school playgrounds, local parks and reserves. Our natural environment is unique, special and fascinating and conservation is about the future of its place in our country. What kind of Aotearoa do you want to see in 50 years’ time? Empowering teachers to provide conservation education opportunities for their students is key to developing ‘conservation kids’- young people who understand and value our unique natural environment and who have the knowledge and skills to look after Aotearoa now, and into the future. The Department of Conservation sees conservation education as a component of the larger umbrella that is environmental education or education for sustainability.
Benefits and outcomes Conservation education provides teachers and students with opportunities to connect with nature, develop conservation knowledge, values and skills, and empower them to take action for the environment.
Research demonstrates that: • Spending time in nature provides children with a wide range of physical and mental health benefits
A wide range of resources The Department of Conservation has a range of New Zealand curriculum linked, classroom ready resources available online for free to support incorporating conservation education into your school curriculum. Resources are designed for teachers to use in a way that suits the needs of the learners, but all are based on
our integrated inquiry learning cycle, include integrated activities which address literacy, numeracy and core curriculum objectives and have Te Ao Māori (a Māori worldview) incorporated throughout. For more information and to access DOC’s conservation education resources, visit: www.doc.govt.nz/education.
• Spending time in nature enhances education outcomes by improving children’s academic performance, focus, behaviour and love of learning (and nature) • Green school grounds promote academic achievement through hands-on, experiential learning and by enhancing the cognitive and emotional processes important for learning • Students actively take on leadership roles in real life local conservation issues after learning about and in nature, which leads to conservation outcomes (e.g. increased biodiversity, predatorfree environments and collecting data for citizen science initiatives).
6 | Term 3, 2018 www.principalstoday.co.nz
Pongaroa School students planting native trees on school grounds. Image by Sandra Burles.
Mates & Dates
Delivering vital information young people need Mates & Dates is having a positive impact on how young people think about relationships, gender stereotypes and consent. The ACC-funded programme for Year 9 to 13 students helps young people have healthy, happy relationships, by giving them the skills and knowledge to prevent the harm caused by sexual and dating violence. But it’s not just about dating. It’s about all kinds of relationships, including friends and family. “Having Mates & Dates at your school will help students have healthier and happier relationships in and out of school,” reports one secondary school principal. Rates of sexual violence in New Zealand are high. New Zealand is ranked worst out of all OECD countries for rates of sexual violence (United Nations Report on the Status of Women, 2011).
New Zealand research shows: • 15 to 24 year olds are the group most at risk from partner violence involving current and ex-partners • Of secondary students, one in five females and one in 10 males say they’ve had unwanted sexual contact or been made to do unwanted sexual acts • 37 percent describe it as severe and 57 percent tell no-one. Young people told ACC they get a lot of information on sex and safe sex, but not much on the social and emotional aspects of relationships. Mates & Dates builds on and strengthens the work schools may already be doing around healthy relationships.
Mates & Dates is evidence based, so it’s safe and has positive impacts for young people. Research shows focusing on children and young people, particularly through best practice school-based programmes, is effective in preventing sexual violence before it happens. Over 33,000 young people in 128 schools across New Zealand have participated in Mates & Dates since it was piloted in 2014. Evaluation data shows Mates & Dates is having a positive impact on young people, with the programme improving most students’ understanding of consent, bystander intervention, healthy relationships and gender stereotypes. One Mates & Dates participant said “It was really good to learn how to be in tricky situations and what to do if you need help. Also about when you can and can’t give consent, and if you should or not.” The feedback from schools is also positive. “The format and delivery style of the Mates & Dates presentations are enjoyable and effective with young people. “The programmes incorporate different ways of learning, which is important to keep interest. The DVD clips have been well done and students are able to relate to the people and the issues… [we’re] especially grateful for the funding that is allocated for this course and we hope to be able to offer the course to our students in the future.” Mates & Dates aims to create a culture that embraces norms that support healthy relationships, does not tolerate sexual violence, and increases reporting and intervention. The programme focuses on the underlying risk and resilience factors relating to sexual and dating violence amongst young people.
Specifically, Mates & Dates teaches young people the skills to: • Have healthy relationships based on respect, negotiation and consent • Identify inappropriate behaviour • Get help if they, or someone they know, is in an unhealthy relationship • Safely intervene in situations that could lead to harm.
The programme is a multi-year programme taught in Years 9 to 13 through five 50-minute sessions over about five weeks. It builds year-on-year and ties in with the learning area of health and physical education. It’s aimed at levels 4 to 8 of the New Zealand Curriculum. Schools decide if they want to register for Mates & Dates and then trained facilitators work with principals and teachers to look at the best time to deliver the programme for the school. ACC fully funds Mates & Dates so there is no cost to the school. “These are the relationship and behaviour skills they can carry with them throughout their lives,” says a Mates & Dates programme facilitator. Mates & Dates is still growing and may not be available in your region yet, but work is underway to ensure coverage across New Zealand.
For more information or if you’d like to have Mates & Dates in your school, visit: www.matesanddates.co.nz or email matesanddates@acc.co.nz.
News | Viewpoints
Lifelong learning and a modern workforce By PPTA president Jack Boyle
If a student and a teacher were time-warped from their classroom in the 1980s to a classroom today, they would be very surprised. The arrangement of furniture would be different, and the tools of learning certainly would be. Students might be clustered in smaller groups, they might be doing totally different activities from others, and there might be no direct instruction from the teacher.
How different the classrooms of today are from 30 years ago, is, to a certain extent, dependent on geography and demographics. Some learners still do not have access to the new tools. Many teachers still have not been provided with the time and space to harness the potential of these new ways of working. The forced march to keep up with the new imperatives can lead to gaps in foundation knowledge and an incoherent education experience.
training for teachers to guide this new tech-mediated system of knowing and doing? Should technology be the driver of changes to curriculum, pedagogy and what success looks like for our akonga? Or is it simply a tool for professionals to deploy to leverage ways for our learners to be in the world? We need to think about the ‘what’ and the ‘how’. We need to guard against ‘guru-ism’, we must not be brainwashed by ‘edu-preneurs’ or clubbed into compliance by powerful lobby groups.
But after our time-travellers had become accustomed to the change, the general shape and ebb and flow of learning would still be recognisable.
It is this lack of equity and coherence that we must address if we are to chart a course to a new future for education, for our young people, teachers and wider society.
Our 1980s student might wonder where the focus on tidy and accurate notetaking had gone, and what on earth these ubiquitous ‘devices’ were.
Today’s learners are subject to wider and more diverse in-groups, points of view and modes of expression than ever before. Teachers draw upon richer resources, experiences and tools to shape their approach and buttress their professional knowledge.
Typing, audio and video are the new learning vernacular. Almost overnight, the collection and sharing of information has become the way to reach across borders and add value to teaching and learning for all.
“We need to think about the ‘what’ and the ‘how’. We need to guard against ‘guru-ism’, we must not be brainwashed by ‘edu-preneurs’ or clubbed into compliance by powerful lobby groups."
Our 1980s teacher would probably find the ‘how’ very, very different, with each student having a device, real time video capture apps, and teaching resources stored in the cloud or curated across a myriad of youtube clips.
The ‘what’ - curriculum content or syllabus - may not actually look too different to the 1980s classroom they had ventured from. A teacher from the 1980s might find the move, from a body of knowledge to atomised chunks, as a classroom turned upside down.
There are pockets of practice where online collaboration among students and teachers is driving changes to what education is. Some of it is powerful. But are pockets of good practice enough for the new world? Will online-anytime-assessment, selfdirected computer modules and studentled online projects work for everyone, or only the ‘already-haves’? Who will guarantee access to devices, stable internet connections and sufficient
We must remain committed to those most human of processes – dialogue, negotiation and consensus. We absolutely can’t throw out everything that we already know and do. So, where should we begin? One of the key findings of the recent education summits is that wellbeing and equity are what students, parents and educators want from their education system.
Jack Boyle PPTA president www.ppta.org.nz Digital technologies make it easier than ever before for learners to conduct serious research, produce high quality work, keep record of the entire process, draw upon a wide range of expertise and share their creations with the world. Opportunities to collaborate and share exist through best practice workshops, subject associations and the fledgling Kahui Ako Support.
The New Zealand Curriculum already provides reference point for future skills. The broadband rollout, networks for learning, the digital technologies curriculum, closer links with industry training organisations and business, and bring your own device, have all been deployed as part of a science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) strategy. A proper STEAM (that’s STEM + arts) strategy that includes learning inquiry and how to integrate the creative skills and principles of application, creation and ingenuity, is necessary.
A new digital technologies curriculum, a teaching workforce with the skillset to do justice to it, strategic partnerships that support truly sustainable change for our tamariki are what’s needed, now and into the future, to create the fertile soil we need for our education system. So, whether you are a 1980s time traveller or a 21st century innovator, the challenges are the same: to learn from the past, harness the will of the present and create the opportunities our students will need in the future.
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8 | Term 3, 2018 www.principalstoday.co.nz
Q&A | Caroline Gray
Principal Q&A
rural connection Caroline Gray, principal of Collingwood Area School, spoke to Principals Today about Collingwood’s unique location, and provides insight into their integrated curriculum. Why did you get into teaching? I started out as a secondary visual arts teacher, trained in Central London. I taught for my first 10 years in East Bristol with immigrant communities and in huge inner city secondary schools. I have always enjoyed working with ‘the awkward squad’ and the art room was the best way to get the most from teens who were marginalised and finding school difficult to navigate. Travelling overland from the UK to NZ in our trusty Landrover was an absolute gift, as was our time as a family living and working in Northland for over 10 years, when we settled in Aotearoa. Later I was fortunate to hone my practice further by working in Steiner education in Wellington. I learned so much. The expectation for each teacher to take up the task of storytelling, movement, painting, music, handwork and practical crafts is inspiring and brings real nobility to the work. Wherever you are in the world and whatever you are delivering, the craft of teaching is an art form in itself that elevates our vocation into something very meaningful. It is what gets me out of bed every day! Why Collingwood? Golden Bay, Mohua is a fabulous place to live and work. The community is strong and the relationship to the land and people is amazing. Our school grounds are flanked by the Whakamarama Ranges with views across the Aorere Valley and out to sea - what could be better? As an Area School how do you find the interaction between the different age groups?
This is the second area school that I have been principal of. I have specialised in the area school sector because I am a staunch advocate for an uninterrupted pathway for our tamariki; area schools provide a fantastic opportunity for us to ensure each age and stage of child development is fully supported, to thrive within the social practice of learning. We remove the anxiety of transitioning between schools and provide a truly whānau based approach to living and learning together. We are also fortunate to have a wonderful playcentre attached to our kura (school) and this foundation is a cornerstone to our success. Can you tell me about your integrated curriculum and how it is suited to Collingwood? When students have the opportunity to know and understand the changing patterns of the year, the seasons, the days and the rhythms of nature, they are able to have a better understanding of their own place in our world – our tūrangawaewae. In fact, reflecting on change helps us all to make sense of experiences, deepen our learning and gain direction for the journey ahead. It launches us into the next round of observing, learning, exploring and taking action. Our integrated curriculum enables us to work authentically within our region and use the natural environment as an everyday learning tool - a much better alternative to an iPad. We get muddy a lot, climb trees and play with sticks - and that’s just the staff! We emphasise practical learning using the beach, river and rural landscape as our classroom.
For our seniors, this includes opportunities such as working with Project Jonah, camping and tramping, equine studies, possum trapping, blacksmithing, hunting and fishing - all the stuff that keeps us grounded.
We feel so fortunate to have had Manawhenua ki Mohua alongside us all the way. By working side by side with iwi we can ensure that language, identity and true Treaty partnership underpins our values.
Of course, smaller class sizes and a personalised programme for each senior student, means that the individual attention everyone receives reap huge rewards at NCEA and beyond.
We have secured both Te Ataarangi and Te Puna Reo classes and are ensuring that our pedagogy and practice reflects local stories, waiata and kaupapa - from outdoor education classes through to play based education, the narrative that binds us is about who we are and where we live.
What challenges do you face as a remote rural school? Travel distances and participation in events outside the area is a huge factor for us. Travel over the Takaka Hill for weekend sport fixtures does require a lot of coordination and effort - luckily, we have tremendous parents who do so much to support us. Our mantra is “it’s just a hill - get over it!” On a more serious note, certainly a major struggle for rural communities such as ours is governance. Finding the right people with the necessary capabilities, time and knowledge for this essential work is a challenge. Thankfully the current Tomorrow’s School review is highlighting this as one of the barriers to 21 century leadership for principals across NZ. We will watch this space with interest. How does Collingwood work within the community and with local businesses? We are still in the fledgling stages of securing long term funding and sponsorship however, we already work closely with local businesses on environmental projects and within hospitality, tourism, construction and agricultural opportunities.
In short, we have increased opportunities for authentic, ongoing co-construction and collaboration. All of these developments are strengthened by our Kāhui Ako ki Mohua, the Golden Bay CoL. This framework provides the security for a small school in Collingwood to capitalise on local and national strength and wisdom to take risks, to grow and to and learn together. What would you say to parents of school-aged children who are considering an area school as an option or who are looking to move rurally? Do it! Area schools hold a special place in the hearts of Aotearoa. What could be better than an uninterrupted, family focused education from five to 18 years of age? At a time when wellbeing and anxiety are such concerns for us in our busy lives, area schools are certainly the antidote. We offer a stress free and spacious environment, with focus on the great outdoors, rather than the fastest device or slickest piece of technology.
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www.securescaffold.co.nz | www.securefence.co.nz | 0800 66 00 22 www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 3, 2018 | 9
News | In the classroom
Digital futures in the education system Sir Peter Gluckman, the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor, together with Professor Stuart McNaughton, Science Advisor to the Ministry of Education, have released a commentary on Digital Futures and Education. Drawing on the available evidence about access to and use of digital technology in schools and out of school, the paper considers both the risks as well as potential benefits for children’s development and learning. The paper was developed against a backdrop of current trends including the changing nature of and availability
of work, our highly connected lives, and growing up in a world where manipulation of ideas and abuse can take on powerful forms through social platforms. These trends affect all aspects of children’s lives, including their development as critically aware citizens, their well-being and cognitive development, and their experiences of growing up.
cognitive or social skills necessary for well-being and success. Better monitoring and evaluation, as well as more public discussion, is needed if we are to promote positive skills at home and at school, and the appropriate means to reduce the negative impacts of social media and digital tools, as these become apparent.
For these reasons, the science advisors suggest an evidence-informed approach to the introduction and use of digital technologies.
The science advisors suggest that a comprehensive national approach is needed in preparing and supporting teachers to optimise benefits (and reduce risks) with digital tools.
However, there is little evidence that, by itself, suggests that the provision of digital devices in schools consistently increases children’s development in the
Such an approach could include: • Greater emphasis on areas already present in the national curriculum
and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, but for which currently there are variable outcomes and as yet, limited understanding of how to develop in digital environments: critical thinking and literacy; self-control; and social skills such as collaboration and empathy • Rapid research and development of smart digital tools for teaching and learning which make a difference to the time for and quality of teaching, and which contribute to the development of the thinking, self-control and the social skills that children need • Measures of child development in the areas of critical thinking, self-control and social skills.
Getting to know youth The New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC) is excited to announce their biennial School Guidance Counsellors Conference for 2018 is to be held in Christchurch on November 29-30. With a theme of ‘Getting to Know Youth’, this year’s conference focuses on the role of counsellors, the young
people we work with, and keeping up with our changing world. The conference gives school guidance counsellors and those working in pastoral care an opportunity to share their experiences, network and get upto-date professional development from within the industry. There is an exciting programme with a variety of keynote speakers lined up, who share a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the youth and mental health sectors.
The speakers include founder of the Sophie Elliot Foundation, Lesley Elliot, and musician and entertainer, turned Positive Parenting spokesperson and advocate, Pio Terei. Education co-ordinator at Qtopia, Anne Nicholson will also be presenting on how school staff can support LGBTQ students, and ensure they feel safe. Additionally, there will be interactive workshops that address cyber-bullying, suicide prevention and the best use of helplines.
The conference is not just for school guidance counsellors - anyone who is involved in pastoral care and working with youth is encouraged to come along, as the conference will give you an in-depth understanding of studentlife outside the school curriculum, and the challenges our youth are facing. Registrations are now open with early bird registrations closing October 12. For more information visit the school guidance counsellor’s page on NZAC’s website: www.nzac.org.nz.
Simplifying school management A Christchurch company has developed a tablet-based site management system that is designed to take the worry, time and paper out of the paperwork, while helping make the workplace OSH compliant. VisTab is an online management system – it replaces paper, saves time, saves double entries, transmits information immediately and can provide a very cost effective OSH and security solution.
VisTab can provide your organisation with a range of solutions. It saves time, saves double entries, transmits information immediately and can provide a very cost effective health and safety and security solution.
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VisTab allows you to manage your sites at anytime from anywhere. From as little as seven dollars a day (plus GST), VisTab can provide your organisation with a range of solutions tailored to your business’ individual needs. It could be just a simple sign in/ sign out tablet on the front desk to a comprehensive procedure that replaces a pile of manuals and a series of clip boards.
The immediacy of accurate information at your head office can mean decisions can be made on data that is only minutes old, not days to weeks. VisTab School Management is a simple and easy to use sign-in procedure for your school. It records the relevant information for pupils leaving during the day and visitors and relievers coming and going, allowing the school to access critical information for health & safety or in the event of an emergency evacuation. The cost efficiency and technology offered by VisTab is not available elsewhere in New Zealand. If you want to know if VisTab can help you, just call them today.
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Interview | Brett Fairweather
Mighty moves By Natalia Rietveld
Brett Fairweather, two -time World Aerobics Champion, eight-time New Zealand Aerobic Champion, 2016 New Zealander of the Year nominee and creator of the much-loved and wellknown JUMP JAM and Jiggle Jam programmes, talks to Principals Today about the benefits JUMP JAM has on thousands of children nationwide and beyond. Brett Fairweather exudes energy, he is ridiculously fit and could potentially out-jump a rabbit on a pogo stick; if you’ve ever seen his aerobics or JUMP JAM videos you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. He knows exercise is good for the soul and has set out to make exercise fun for even the most timid of children.
aerobics. Aerobics to him is “a workout and a party combined,” he’s been hooked since 1986.
Regular exercise is important, this is common knowledge, but not every child enjoys playing sports or joining in on athletics day. For many who are not naturally gifted in sports, exercise can be a really scary concept.
JUMP JAM is non-competitive and is done in a large group, there is no pressure on individuals. “Kids and teachers can hide and be part of a big group ‘jammin’. I designed it for nonexperts, getting it wrong is even more fun,” Brett says.
“I know what it is like to wait for the ball to come to you, to be the one that drops or misses the ball, and this can be hard for some students,” Brett says. Just as you would disguise spinach in a smoothie so that fussy eaters get their vegetable intake, exercise needs to be disguised, as something other than a competition or a circuit, for some children to want to get active. A powerful disguise JUMP JAM is an aerobics programme specifically designed for kids and created by Brett’s personal love of
Children don’t care if what they’re doing is ‘good for them’ they only care that they are having the time of their lives. JUMP JAM was developed in September 2000, after Brett’s success with Maraerobics – a TV series for Maori children – and was officially launched in May 2001 in six pilot schools within Auckland. And the rest, as they say, is history. “I always believed it would be big and it has the ability to change lives.”
It certainly has become big – massive may be a better suited word. JUMP JAM, and Jiggle Jam (Jiggle Jam being the option for 3-6 year olds, or children with special needs) has been adopted by a staggering 90 percent of New Zealand primary schools and has made its way to Australia and Singapore as well. And as far as changing lives – one testimonial even states it has helped a child through depression and anxiety. Children genuinely rave about the experience and hold onto the memories made for a lifetime. “From the child’s perspective it’s the joy of music, movement, creative imagination and a feel good factor,” Brett says. That’s the power of a good disguise, children don’t even realise how much good it is actually doing. Teachers however, aren’t so easily fooled and it’s the knowledge of the learning outcomes and health benefits that come from JUMP JAM that has kept them going with it for nearly 20 years. “A recent study in US schools showed that, if you schedule aerobic activity before your most difficult learning objective, students retained more information. The study also proved that physically active students achieve 2x higher academic scores than those who are not physically active. Plus, schools where students participated in regular aerobic activity showed a measurable reduction in disciplinary problems. “For me, happier children who learn better is a huge bonus,” Brett says. Leadership opportunities While the JUMP JAM programme itself is not competitive, due to popular demand a competitive element was introduced in 2005 as a fitness and teambuilding goal for students.
Competitions see up to 200 entries via video, which is then cut down to around 60 teams, who will then compete at either the North or South Island regionals. “That’s over 1,000 students,” Brett says. “This year we are holding about 15 smaller, local events throughout New Zealand. Already in the 11 events registered, 2,700-plus students have entered with four further events coming later in the year, plus our North and South Island major events to be held as well. My estimate is around 5,000 students will attend a live JUMP JAM competition in 2018.” On top of competitions, students can take the opportunity to be role models and even instructors at their own schools. “Our videos often feature actual student leaders, role modelling ‘if we can do it, you can to’.” The JUMP JAM programme offers training for the students and teachers to become leaders via the teachers training videos and choreography notes. Even hosting student leadership workshops. “Workshop skills are highly valued by teachers and parents,” Brett says. Thanks to Brett and JUMP JAM many children are receiving the benefits of exercise without having to step out of their comfort zones. Although he might not be able to get your children eating their spinach, he can certainly get them living a much healthier life through exercise. Even if children are not wanting to compete or lead, there is so much to be gained just by hiding in the large group and joining in. “I know myself how early memories are powerful,” Brett says, as the simple act of joining in can change their life.
“It gives students a goal, it gives We know it’s much more than just a schools a team of leaders or a dance party, but don’t tell the kids that performance team, it brings students - keep them believing it’s just fun. together and it’s a great opportunity for parents to see their children shine in And as for the next chapter “Look out for JUMP JAM the musical!” another sport.” www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 3, 2018 | 11
Learning Space | Wellbeing in schools
Learning Space | Health & wellbeing
Boosting wellbeing and resilience A free online wellbeing toolkit for teachers is helping year 1-8 students become calmer, happier, and ready to learn. Sparklers consists of over 40 wellbeing activities that help give young people the skills and tools they need to build positive mental health and wellbeing. The activities take between 10 minutes to 1 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. Sparklers has been developed by All Right? - a joint initiative between the Canterbury DHB and the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand. All Right? manager Sue Turner says Sparklers was developed in response to requests from schools for more support to meet the wellbeing needs of Canterbury students post-quake. “While it had its genesis in recovery from the greater Christchurch earthquakes, its content is relevant to tamariki throughout New Zealand,” Sue says. “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.” Ten new activities, specific to Year 7 and 8 tamariki, have just been released. These activities recognise that children in this age group are in a new phase of development - approaching or experiencing
adolescence and soon to transition through to high school. To help tamariki navigate this period of their life, the new activities focus on topics such as listening, working together, building friendships and understanding and regulating big emotions. Sue says a recently released evaluation found that Sparklers was easy to implement in the classroom and teachers were overwhelmingly positive towards it. What teachers says about Sparklers: “An excellent resource that is teacher friendly. Thank you for supporting teachers and students with their overall wellbeing.” “We won't get nearly through all the fab activities but we are LOVING them and will continue using next term… the tamariki were really engaged and loved learning about their brain and how they have the power to change it” “Amazing resource for all our children.” “The students were engaged immediately. One student mentioned he looks for things to be grateful for in his day, each night lying in bed.” “This is an incredible programme!” “This is totally amazing. I haven’t seen anything this good, thoughtful, fun, practical, brilliant for simply ages. It looks like it will scratch EXACTLY where teachers are itching… just perfect! I am speechless with delight.” To find out more about Sparklers, visit: www.allright.org.nz/tools/sparklers.
Supporting simple changes Two years ago, Ester Vallero’s family entered a new journey with their middle child, then aged seven. “Our child was unwell. He was really sad, crying every day and had constant tummy aches. He went from being a really happy child, a real extrovert, to being more and more withdrawn. One day, he said ‘you don’t understand me’, so I thought I was missing something.” When they watched a Louis Theroux documentary on young transgender children, the pieces fell into place for the parents. Ester rang her child’s principal at Beckenham Te Kura o Pūroto (formerly Beckenham School) to inform her that her child was struggling with their gender. Principal Sandy Hastings said she knew very little around how to provide support in school to a child who was gender diverse. “It was not something I had ever really needed to look at. I knew in the back of my mind that one day I would probably be in this situation, but life is also busy, so you learn stuff on a needto-know basis,” Sandy says. Within 48 hours of Ester’s call, Sandy had pulled together literature from around the world, which gave her a starting point on how best to support gender diverse students. The school board then began the process of making practical and policy changes within the school to help prepare the child for a “more public” gender transition in a few months’ time. Ester says the school's response to her call and leadership on the situation was “amazing”. Simple changes were made immediately to allow the child, parents, teachers and everyone to “breathe comfortably”. “One of the easiest things was to go to our uniform guide for parents… We went through it and asked, ‘why have we got boys and girls here’. We just needed to take the ‘girls’ and ‘boys’ off and say, ‘these are the options’,” says Sandy. “We just took the attitude of ‘let’s not make it complicated’. We want all of our kids to be themselves.” Sandy says the matter provided a much-needed wake-up call regarding the gender binary expressions that were regularly used out of habit and with good intention. “I was doing my best to be kind and supportive and I began to notice how much gender bias many of my comments had. Those situations are
12 | Term 3, 2018 www.principalstoday.co.nz
great learning situations. It took us, as it does when changing any habit, many apologies to get it right.” School staff and the family had been preparing for the child’s social transition after the Christmas break, but the child reverted to a state of unhappiness when faced with the prospect of continuing to go to school as a boy, and the school supported her social transition with only half a day notice. Sandy sent an email to staff and the board to inform them of the child’s situation, and new name, alongside a short paragraph from Ester and her husband Matt. Ester had expected her child’s first day at school as a girl to be nervewracking, but it was anything but, thanks to Sandy’s leadership and the welcoming response from teachers and school staff. Friends and the other children in the school naturally accepted the change, with simple explanations from teachers on gender identity and gender diversity. “From the very beginning, we’ve always felt completely and unconditionally accepted and supported, which made it possible for us to concentrate on supporting our child, rather than having to argue with the school,” Ester says. “Our child’s teachers supported her in conversations with her friends around her gender identity. Some moments were hard for her, but she always felt that somebody at school cared for her, and she has maintained friendships and gained new ones. “Schools have an important role to normalise diversity and create inclusive environments, so that all children can be themselves.” The family and the school work together to plan potentially challenging situations, such as swimming lessons or health classes, to make sure that all children feel included. When the child made their debut as a girl in the school kapa haka photos, Sandy immediately sent a photo of the child, in her new costume, to Ester. Little things that showed the school cared, were the ones that meant the most to Ester.
Learning Space | Health & wellbeing
Answering cries for help Georgia* was a Year 12 student at a Christchurch high school and had made the decision to end her life. She had given herself a week for things to improve, but when they didn’t, Georgia says, “I just lost it and thought there was no point”. An unhappy home life and struggling with school, Georgia talks about how hard life had become. She closed herself off and “didn’t access the support, even though it was being offered”. Georgia intended to sign out of school and go home and sign out of life. She just hadn’t planned on meeting her 24-7 youth worker on the way out of school.
and one in four New Zealanders will experience some sort of anxiety disorder during their lifetime.
The intervention of her youth worker saved Georgia’s life as well as opening up other possibilities for her. Georgia now talks about becoming a youth worker herself and helping other young people find hope.
The statistics are disturbing. And on a personal level, when you know the young person involved, the outcomes are devastating.
“They may be going through a dark patch but there is always a way out. They need support and someone to show them love and to care about them, not give up on them.” Georgia’s story is one of thousands. According to a recent NZ Herald article, 130 young people kill themselves every year.
24-7 YouthWork (24-7YW) is a network of schools and churches working together to support young people and their communities. Its focus is to see young people enjoy their high school years and build a great foundation to launch themselves into adult life.
Almost half of our teenagers will selfharm before they leave high school
“We know that we are only part of the answer and that it will take a holistic
response to help our young people thrive,” they say. For this reason, 24-7YW is a partnership between a local school and local church in the context of the local community. Throughout New Zealand there are 69 schools with 152 local youth workers within the 24-7YW Network. “Numerous rounds of academic research have supported the effectiveness of our approach. Believing a young person’s life is 24 hours a day and seven days a week, our youth workers focus on being there for young people in whatever capacity the school requires.” This may mean: coaching a sports team, leadership training, mentoring, running lunchtime activities, etc. Youth workers are part-time, working 10 to 15 hours per week in schools. While receiving the NZ Certificate in Youth Work, 24-7 youth workers are seen as hand-holders, not problem-solvers.
Recognising that there was something wrong with her, the youth worker took Georgia to the school counsellor where she confessed her plans and got the help that she needed.
They are there to walk alongside a young person and direct them to seek appropriate help from school counsellors and other professionals.
Georgia explains, “the fact that I had given myself a particular day, I felt like I couldn’t go back”. Seeing her youth worker cry at her confession, Georgia was hit by the reality of her decision. “Wow, I can’t go through with this. If I do, this is real.”
To find out more about 24-7YW, visit: www.24-7youthwork.nz. *A pseudonym
HAVE YOU HEARD THE BUZZ IN YOUR SCHOOL ABOUT PLAY YOUR BEST CARD YET? Secondary schools were sent a FREE copy of Play Your Best Card in May. Play Your Best Card is a story-based card game for secondary school-aged teens that aims to inspire critical thinking and encourage conversation about challenges that are going on for them right now, or that they might encounter in the future. It helps them to explore practical ways of dealing with situations as well as raising awareness of youth organisations that they can reach out to. “Deceptively simple, but enabling deep conversations.”
Find out more, and take a look at the video where the teen co-designers introduce what Play Your Best Card is all about at hpa.org.nz/pybc
“This has been extremely beneficial in developing critical thinking with our students.”
MH129 | JUN 2018
14 | Term 3, 2018 www.principalstoday.co.nz
s e i l i m a F g n o r St & s d i K g Stron munities m o C g n Stro We Build
ps & hool care, Cam c s r e ft a d n a re re! s and much mo our school: Befo e y m e m id v ra g ro p ro n p a n c tio We ildren’s recrea h C , s e m m ra g holiday pro
Making History in Your Community
The YMCA is a strong, value-based charity that was established in Auckland in 1855 - that’s over 160 years of caring for New Zealanders. To this day, we continue to make a real difference within local communities and young people’s lives. We’re proud to demonstrate a history filled with stories that have helped grow strong families, strong kids and strong communities. Behind the success of our local YMCA is a worldwide movement that stands upon time-honoured values aimed towards empowering young people and their families. From defining moments in time such as helping young workers navigate the industrial revolution, to meeting needs during both World Wars, and to a period in time spent focussing on inspiring exercise, resilience and mental health among youth, the YMCA’s worldwide influence is demonstrated at the local level within New Zealand, with countless lives impacted.
Partnering with Your School
Today, the YMCA believes that by partnering with schools, we can come alongside you and your community to enrich the lives of children and families in your area. We extend to your school our hand in partnership to offer a wide range of children’s programmes and facilities for your use. Whether it be school camps, staff team building days, leadership development, holiday programs, use of our recreation facilities, sports programmes or term swimming lessons, we have an array of activities, programmes and services that can help your school be all that it can. We are also particularly excited to be expanding our Out of School Care services across the Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty region.
YMCA Out of School Care
We believe that with all the resources we have available, combined with a rich history caring
YMCA offers by visiting at wh t ou ab e or m t ou d You can fin
for children and families, and particularly by listening to the needs and interests of your school community and children, we can tailor an Out of School Care program that will offer a breadth of value like no other provider in New Zealand. We are the largest provider across the Auckland and Waikato region and have over 15 years’ experience in this field. We want all our schools to feel safe in the hands of the YMCA, so we work hard to ensure working relationships are easy, value-based and school-focussed.
Safeguarding Children
We are also New Zealand’s first and only accredited Safeguarding Children organisation, which is an internationally recognised accreditation awarded to those who embark on a rigorous safeguarding journey that prioritises the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. We are proud to lead the journey in New Zealand.
.nz www.ymcaauckland.org
Working Space | Performing arts
Working Space | Healthy eating
Stages and seating designed for high performance
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” 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.
A healthier twist on baked items Do you offer baked items (like muffins, cake and biscuits) at your school canteen or tuck shop? Traditionally, these foods are high in saturated fat and sugar, especially when topped with icing. They may be popular choices among students, but are generally not a healthy choice. There are simple steps you can take to transform baked goods into healthier versions, for example, by modifying the recipe or reducing portion sizes. This doesn't mean they will become 'everyday' foods, but it can add some nutritional value. Top tips to put a healthier twist on baked items • Offer healthier savoury options instead of sweet. This is an easy way to include more vegetables and less sugar on your menu. Savoury muffins, scones or vegetable pinwheels are popular choices. • Vegetables make a great addition to sweet baked items too – try pumpkin, courgette, carrot or beetroot for something different. Choose seasonal produce to help keep the cost down. Check out our veggie-packed muffin recipes on the Fuelled4life website like zesty courgette or carrot and date. • Fruit contains vitamins, minerals and fibre. Choose seasonal fruit, otherwise banana, apple, dried fruit and canned fruit are cheap and all-year-round options. Fruit is naturally sweet so you can reduce the amount of sugar used in the recipe. • In many recipes you can reduce sugar by one-third to a half without affecting texture. • Replace white flour with whole grains such as oats, bran or wholemeal flour to boost fibre. • Add nuts and seeds which are a great source of healthy fats.
Currently installed in many schools, universities & performance venues.
• Swap the butter for margarine, canola or olive oil.
Stronglite Staging® Ltd is also the authorised NZ Agent for products.
• Use herbs and spices - mint, cinnamon, vanilla in place of sugar and salt.
0 78 78 99 SALES 080 0 12 12 33 HIRES 080
www.stronglite.co.nz 16 | Term 3, 2018 www.principalstoday.co.nz
• Reduce the portion sizes as this will make recipes go further. • For packaged food, compare the nutrition information panel of
products to choose options lower in energy, saturated fat, sugar and sodium. You could also use the online Healthy Food Cruncher (available on the Fuelled4life website) to identify healthier options. The new Fresh Made Make Sheets can help Fuelled4life have developed new Fresh Made Make Sheets to visually illustrate how you can make nutritional improvements to popular baked items like muesli bars, cakes and items with icing. Getting the portion right When it comes to working out how much food to serve, size really does matter. Portion control is a key factor in preventing weight gain and helping to establish healthy eating habits. It can also help your business to control food costs. It’s important to get the portion size right if you prepare or provide food for children and young people. Portion, plate and package sizes have all increased over time. This has made it tricky to know what an appropriate serve or portion size may look like. The Fresh Made Make Sheets will help you visualise the quantities of some ingredients used in foods, commonly chosen by children. Sign up to Fuelled4life One in three Kiwi kids are 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, sign up to Fuelled4life for many free resources. The resources will 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-to-one nutrition support, please contact the Fuelled4life team at: fuelled4life.org.nz/contact-us.
HEALTHIER CHOICES MADE EASY.
Fuelled4life is a practical tool which makes it easier to provide healthier food at your school. Sign up today at fuelled4life.org.nz for our free resources.
fuEllED4lIfE.Org.nz
Working Space | Garden to table
Young gardener competition extended to all primary schools A competition designed to recognise New Zealand’s burgeoning young gardeners, and the schools educating them on how to grow and enjoy healthy produce, has been opened up to all primary schools. The T&G Garden to Table Young Gardener of the Year Awards were first held in 2017 attracting nearly 70 entries and substantial media interest. Supported by T&G Global, one of New Zealand’s oldest fruit and vegetable companies, the awards recognise the enthusiasm and efforts of schools and students involved in the Garden to Table programme.
awards, but we noticed the appetite for the awards stretched beyond Garden to Table schools. We thought it was important to create a new category that acknowledges the passion many Kiwi schools and students have for growing and preparing healthy produce, even if they’re not part of the Garden to Table programme. “The incentive for schools to enter our new category, aside from the achievement of taking part, is the opportunity to win a free online membership to the Garden to Table programme for a year. “Hopefully the prize will enable the winning school to continue their
The programme enables children to grow, harvest, prepare and share fresh food at school supported by in-class learning with the curriculum aligned to the Ministry of Education. Three core categories for the awards remain in place for 2018, but a new T&G Passion for Growing Award category has been created to recognise the efforts of a school that ‘digs’ gardening, but isn’t involved with Garden to Table. T&G’s executive general manager New Zealand, Andrew Keaney says, “We had a fantastic first year with the
passion in the garden with greater curriculum support and child-friendly recipes. They’ll also gain access to kitchen skills' instruction videos and support material for gardening through to cooking.” With plenty of other incredible prizes up for grabs, schools and students are urged to start digging into the awards website now. Entries officially opened on Monday, July 2 and 2018 entrants will be voted on by returning judges: Andrew Keaney, Garden to Table CEO, Linda Taylor and Garden to Table ambassador and chef and restauranteur, Al Brown. New to the judges’ line-up for 2018 is
gardening guru, Dan McKay, who was recently appointed as an ambassador for the Garden to Table programme. In addition to the new T&G Passion for Growing Award, the three other categories for 2018 are: The T&G Garden to Table Established School of the Year Award - for schools and students that have been gardening for more than two years through the Garden to Table programme. The T&G Garden to Table Emerging School of the Year Award - for primary schools who have been gardening through the Garden to Table programme for two years or less. The T&G Garden to Table Young Gardener of the Year Awards - which recognise the efforts of five passionate young gardeners who have planted a seed, watered it, made sure it’s getting the right amount of sunlight; even jumped up and down when the first leaves sprouted. Five very special young gardeners will walk away with the coveted title of 2018 Young Gardener of the Year. For entry information visit: younggardenerawards.co.nz. For Garden to Table information visit: gardentotable.org.nz.
Got a budding
Gardening Superstar? We’re out to unearth New Zealand’s most passionate young gardeners – are they at your school? Entries open Monday 2 July and close Monday 27 August 2018. Don’t wait – dig in now! younggardenerawards.co.nz
Nayland College principal Daniel Wilson.
18 | Term 3, 2018 www.principalstoday.co.nz
Working Space | Garden to table
Organic goodness
Benefits include: - Children learn where food comes from, how to grow, prepare and cook homegrown produce
The Garden to Table programme is changing the way children approach and think about food.
- Proven that children involved in the programme grow and cook food at home
The Garden to Table programme is now available to nearly 10,000 primary school children across Aotearoa, helping students learn how to grow, cook and enjoy fresh, seasonal vegetables and take this learning back into the classroom.
- Children understand seasonality of food - Children make better food choices, with positive and sustainable impact on health and wellbeing
Established in 2008 as a registered charity, Garden to Table focuses on food education for children aged between Years 3 and 8.
child in New Zealand to learn about fresh produce.
Students have the opportunity to participate in practical, hands-on, child-centric classes that teach them how to grow, harvest, prepare and share fresh, seasonal produce in a fun and enjoyable way.
The trust’s curriculum integrated programme also educates children about the environment and sustainability, and enriches their curriculum subjects through hands-on, interactive learning.
The trust, co-founded by food writer Catherine Bell, was modelled on Australia’s well-documented Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Programme. Seven years on, the Garden to Table programme now supports over 140 schools across the country via face to face and online resources.
All around the country, Garden to Table wants to see children enthusiastically getting their hands dirty and learning how to grow, harvest, prepare and share fresh, seasonal food.
With childhood obesity an increasing health issue in New Zealand, Garden to Table provides a long-term solution to a range of health challenges facing our country, by encouraging every
growing and cooking cost-effective and sustainable good food at home,” she says. Schools with Garden to Table are also seeing improvements in children’s health and wellbeing, behaviour and self-esteem, and increased community engagement with parents and members of the community invited to volunteer during the Garden to Table sessions.
Garden to Table executive officer, Linda Taylor says the benefits and follow-on effects of Garden to Table are huge.
“Our aim is to help every school in New Zealand establish a Garden to Table programme, and the online platform makes this possible.
“Schools with Garden to Table report more engaged learning, lower absentee rates on Garden to Table days, and an increased number of children
“We strongly encourage schools, parents and local businesses to get in touch if they would like to know more about Garden to Table.”
- Children experience the social aspect of sitting around a table enjoying food - Evidence of increased numeracy and literacy through curriculum integration - Beneficial for children who do not thrive in traditional classroom environment - Improved behaviour through engaged learning - Immediate take home for kids which flows on into family life - Volunteering allows community to share their skills back into the community - It's for all children within the community - socially inclusive. For more information, visit: www.gardentotable.org.nz.
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A seamless non-slip system permanently bonded to the existing surface. Dura-seal provides an ideal way to refresh worn, slippery and splintering timber. Doorway Threshold Ramps • Very durable and non-slip • Quiet entry for foot and wheels • Can be loose laid or permanently fixed in place • Custom made to fit. Provides equal access to any doorway, ranch slider, curb, pathway, or any other situations with a threshold step. The ramp is made to fit, with any indents, beveled edging, compliant slopes or site specific details built into the manufacturing of your threshold ramp.
• Suitable for high traffic areas- foot and light vehicles are ok • Can be coloured and applied to slopes • Highly durable, easy to clean, all weather surface • DIY repairs are very easy for unforeseen damage • Different grades of rubber available to alter the non-slip properties. Contact Burgess Matting & Surfacing Our matting is made in New Zealand from recycled rubber. Find out more by calling us on 0800 80 85 70, see the range at www.burgessmatting.co.nz, or email us on: sales@burgessmatting.co.nz
www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 3, 2018 | 19
Working Space | Heating in schools
Wood – the renewable fuel By Brian Cox
The number of schools using wood fuel for heating is growing as schools look for heating options that reinforce what they are teaching. The use of renewable wood fuelled heating fits with teaching about sustainable communities and the circular economy which students, when they leave school, will be part of. Not only is the use of wood for heating a good demonstration of sustainability in practice, but wood provides a safe, clean, reliable and economical alternative to other forms of energy. In the past, fuel for heating schools came from non-renewable sources like coal, gas or oil. However, that is no longer sustainable. In addition, the use of wood fuel for heating can be a cheaper long-run heating option. It is also relatively easy to convert to using wood energy in the many schools that have an existing hot water heating system. There are now more than 60 schools across the country using wood fuel for heating. The fuel is either wood pellets or wood chip. The choice of fuel depending on the location of the school and its proximity to suppliers of the different fuels.
Compared to coal, there are a number of obvious advantages to using wood pellets or chips, the most obvious of which is that they are a relatively clean burning and sustainable fuel. Particulate emissions from wood fuel are between 1/3 and 1/5 of those from coal, and added advantages include ease of use, cleaning and maintenance. 60 schools can’t be wrong For the over 60 heat plants now installed in New Zealand schools - with a total estimated capacity of around 31 MW ranging in size from 200kW to just over 1MW – they present a compelling argument for other schools to follow their lead. Of the 60 schools, there is an even split between conversions and new installations, and also between wood pellets and wood chips (with wood pellets nudging in the lead). To assist other schools to make the move, the Bioenergy Association has prepared case studies and published the list of schools on: www. usewoodfuel.org.nz/wood-fueledheating-applications, so that reference checks can be made. As a teaching tool Bioenergy is an ideal teaching tool. Some schools have included their choice of heating as a tool for
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Choice of heat plant Unlike older coal boilers, modern wood-fuelled heaters are automated and easy to operate. Any school caretaker can manage them and fuel can be delivered without hassle.
Bioenergy – so much more to offer The range of applications both in terms of the scale of use (residential to small commercial and large scale industrial), and situation of use (accommodation, food processing, schools, care home etc), confirms that wood fuel is a versatile fuel with several benefits, but there is so much more that bioenergy can offer.
Cost will always be a factor in anyone's choice of fuel and heat plant technology. Many education
Brian Cox is Executive Officer at Bioenergy Association of New Zealand (BANZ).
WOOD-CHIP BOILER • Energy & cost efficient • Rotary-step grate • ECO extraction system
Taymac is New Zealand’s leading supplier of hot water boilers. They have been supplying boilers to the New Zealand and Australian markets for more than 50 years. Taymac is pleased to announce an exciting range of European high-efficiency biomass boilers. Hargassner is an eco-friendly and cost-efficient biomass boiler (wood pallet and wood chip), designed and manufactured in Austria and exported to 20 countries throughout Europe and the rest of the world. The Hargassner boiler is specifically designed for combustion of biomass. Many of today's economic and environmental concerns around a ‘carbon neutral’ environment are best met with energy supplied by biomass combustion. Hargassner boilers come standard with automatic ignition, automatic fuel feed, automatic grate ash extraction and automatic flue ash cleaning, which all adds up to little effort, no mess energy.
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2017
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CONTACT Taylors Manufacturing LTD (Taymac) 19 Taurus Place Christchurch 8062 P: 03 389 7149 or 0800 829 622 E: sales@taymac.co.nz | www.taymac.co.nz
www.hargassner.com
20 | Term 3, 2018 www.principalstoday.co.nz
This allows a shift from coal to wood fuel, thus reducing their on-going operating costs. Others have been able to convert existing heat plant from coal to run on wood fuels.
Austrian technology at competitive prices
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The whole curriculum could in theory be based around the school heating. Involving the students in studies of different heating options can cover a number of aspects of: thermodynamics; the suitability for combustion of different species of trees; the biology of trees; the chemistry of combustion; and the economics of energy. No other heating form can be so versatile as a teaching tool.
establishments for example have funded the replacement of their existing heat plant from Crown Loans which makes it an operating cost.
Hargassner biomass boilers
HEATING TECHNOLOGY FOR BIOMASS
SWITCHY IJA NOW TO
teaching physics, chemistry, mathematics and biology.
Schools These boilers are ideally sized for schools with a single boiler range up 330kW, which can be significantly increased if required, with module configuration.
Hargassner boilers are very easy to operate, using very clean fuel, with automatic boiler de-ashing. Hargassner biomass boilers feature: EFFICIENCY • A biomass system operating on zero balance CO2 when compared to fossil fuels • High efficiency with low NOx and particulate matter • Efficiencies which can reach over 90 percent. FUELS • Wood pallet, wood chip and various other biomass fuels • Designed to operate with a relatively high moisture content • Biomass ash can used as a composting agent. Taymac and Hargassner will help you save money and protect the environment Taylors Manufacturing Ltd, Phone (03) 389 7149, 0800 829 622 Email Julian@taymac.co.nz, or visit www.taymac.co.nz.
Working Space | Heating in schools
Green heating
any need for a resource consent or consent amendment.
Brian Anderson of Christchurch consultancy Bryn Martin Ltd has been delivering wood-based heating systems to schools (and others) since 2006; indeed, Brian did the second only conversion in New Zealand of a coal boiler to operate on the then-new fuel of wood pellets.
Existing coal boilers operate more efficiently on pellet or chip, as wood fuels burn more cleanly than does coal, leaving the heat transfer surfaces inside a boiler cleaner for longer.
By converting to wood pellet or chip, sulphur emissions are eliminated, and nitrogen oxides are cut by a factor of four along with particulate emissions.
Surprisingly, most patterns of old coal boilers converted to wood pellets achieve thermal efficiencies in the low 80 percent range — right up there with most of the new European units.
"The first conversion was carried out with a certain amount of trepidation," Brian says, "but we needn't have worried, as it performed as expected right from the start."
Ashing-out, the bane of most boilermen's existence, is reduced from a daily, to a once, perhaps twiceweekly task, and the ash is much more pleasant to handle. Because it is pure wood residue, it makes an excellent garden fertiliser, and much is disposed of in that way.
Wood pellet conversions of existing coal boilers are usually straightforward. "In 20 or so conversions across a variety of plant types and ages, we have not hit one that could not be done economically". Like most things, in both principle and practice the conversion is simple, provided one goes into it with open eyes. There are catches for the unwary.
Cashmere High School, the new and converted plant.
There are many benefits to converting to wood pellet operation, or, in a new installation of reasonable size, wood chip.
"Pretty much any coal boiler in a school or similar-sized organisation is likely to be a good candidate for conversion."
Wood is an endlessly renewable resource and is considered carbonneutral. Regional Authorities have
"In 20 or so conversions across a variety of plant types and ages, we have not hit one that could not be done economically."
Wood fuels are kinder to boilers than coal as well. Because they contain no sulphur, one cannot get harmful sulphuric acid attack of the inside of a boiler and flue.
Large numbers of converted boilers have been at, or beyond the "rule of thumb" 30-year economic life of coal boiler plant. Converted now to wood fuels, they are fit to run for a good number of years to come. "So far as I am aware, all of the boilers that we have converted or installed are still in operation, many years later."
Cashmere High School, the old boiler plant.
come to realise that the conversion of an existing coal boiler to wood operation is a "no-brainer".
In Canterbury, ECan now permits the conversion of up to 1MW units (which would include most schools) without
Bryn Martin, Mechanical & Electrical consultants. Specialists in wood energy applications and conversions. E b.anderson@brynmartin.co.nz | T 03 384 9808 | W www.brynmartin.co.nz
If you would like to do something positive for the environment, or if you are just having problems with your resource consent, then wood fuels represent a very positive and simple way forward.
Powering schools, empowering students As the world progressively wakes up to its crucial role in protecting the planet, particularly in regard to humanity’s relationship with energy, there is a change agent in our midst who recognised the value of a circular economy some 40 years ago. While sustainability has become a trending concept, taking up residence as a hot topic within social and mainstream media, Azwood Energy has been living and breathing the practice as part of its core philosophy since it was established. New Zealand’s leading wood energy supplier for process heat and space heating through bulk biomass, wood chips and wood pellets, the company has never been interested in capitalising on a fad. Its interests are firmly focused on being genuinely innovative and keeping New Zealand a clean country, producing environmentally friendly, renewable products which ultimately help to reduce the usage of unnatural and mined products. Marketing manager Jonathan McKeown says for 40 years the business has been founded on a self-evident principle that has guided the business’ decision making. It starts with the simple but significant proposition, ‘why?’ This ‘why?’ extends to “Why we go to work and why we enjoy what we do,” McKeown explains. “We believe in being resourceful and making the most of what we have been given. Our business is built around that.” The business resonates in today’s day and age more than ever before as millennial generations lend their
voices to a discourse that is well overdue - decisions made today will impact our future and the type of energy our schools use impacts our learning environment. Azwood Energy is a major change agent and thought leader championing ‘modern’ thinking that is not so new for them, but that is rapidly gaining more and more traction amongst the converted. The forward-thinking company is rising to the occasion to play its part in educating the wider community, from pre-adolescent age and upwards; a move that has been embraced by schools across New Zealand. As a supplier and adviser to the education sector, Azwood Energy is committed to offering more than just its primary service. “We offer schools a renewable source of energy. We take the forestry slash off the side of hills where it would otherwise rot and release carbon and methane. “We take that slash and turn it into wood energy as a replacement for fossil fuels, coal and diesel. We are using a waste product, that otherwise has no purpose, to help create a low-emissions circular economy. “We also have another business - a subsidiary of Azwood called Wholesale Landscapes - which is a large manufacturer of landscape supplies and growing media like potting mix. “When we are dealing with schools who we are providing with energy, we are able to take their minuscule ash off-run and mix it with our compost. From there, they can put in their vege garden, and in this way, we are giving back to the earth.”
Azwood Energy also supplies a certified impact protection product to schools, aptly named Bounce Bark. “It’s a natural product, but is treated correctly at certain levels, so when kids have a fall, it can prevent injuries. This is about making the most of what we’ve been given and being resourceful. “In today’s market and environment, we are proud to be a company that promotes sustainability and repurposing resources that would otherwise go to waste.” Gaining traction in schools particularly those in the South Island - the sustainability centric business has revolutionised the way many are powering their bricks and mortar environment so they can be kinder to their natural one. “The close relationship we have built with schools is based on providing them with a local energy source. “They have chosen to use a carbon neutral, renewable wood energy rather than the coal they may have been burning 10 years ago, and this is positively impacting their learning spaces. “I was at a conference recently with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) and its chief executive, Andrew Caseley, was talking about how we achieve a low-emissions economy in the future and he said it is about winning the hearts and minds of New Zealand.” Azwood Energy has a well-deserved captive audience
in the youth of today thanks to its hands-on approach to encouraging their curiosity and imagination when it comes to sustainability. “We have an education programme that we have taken into schools, with a tailored sustainability lesson plan that covers all kinds of renewable, sustainable energy. “It has been written by the head of an English department, so it’s not a piece of marketing material. It is covered by unit standards and is introduced as part of the curriculum.” In addition to Azwood Energy’s contribution to producing enlightening and empowering curriculum for those who stand to inherit the planet, it is also rightly proud of its role in creating clean energy videos with the schools it supplies energy to. “The future of energy and climate change, and all those related topics, are topics the students are highly engaged in. They love the chance to make videos and give clear messages in these videos about what they want from their future. “We have had a really strong response from principals who have gotten in touch with us and thanked us for really engaging them, not just supplying.
“They say they can tell that we really believe in what we do and that the care we show when we deal with them is proof of this. “We don’t just drop off our product and leave, we spend hours talking with the students and engaging their hearts and minds.”
For more information about how Azwood Energy can work with you and your school, visit www.azwoodenergy.co.nz.
Working Space | Technology
Build your digital skills while teaching with SIGNAL We all know how important it is to provide relevant digital skills to our students, but are you and your colleagues equipped with current digital teaching skills, and the confidence to do so? We know how difficult it can be for schools and teachers to find the time and funds for the professional development required to support you in delivering the new standards, which is why SIGNAL ICT Graduate School has a programme tailored to help. The Educate programme is an at-work study programme, led by professor Tim Bell and distinguished professor Niki Davis, delivered over two years. Each of the two one-year courses is delivered via distance learning, is applied to your daily teaching, and includes a short, intensive onsite workshop during the first term break to cement your learning, build your connections, and develop a community of like-minded
education professionals devoted to providing the best digital skills for their students. SIGNAL offers partial scholarships to a large number of Educate learners each year, and you may also be eligible for the Teach NZ study awards, sabbaticals and study support grants, which could include support for up to four hours a week and a contribution of $500 towards course fees. See www.teachnz.govt. nz for further info. Patrick Baker, a teacher at Middleton Grange for 15 years, says “Educate has enabled me to think about aspects of all my teaching, not limited to programming or computer science”. Patrick applauds this type of learning and the environments as “...invigorating, and the content delivery and support was second to none”. Enrolments are now open for Educate 2019 and spaces are limited. Find out more at http://signal.ac.nz/ educate, or call the SIGNAL team on 0800 990024.
Ohaeawai School Years 5 and 6 students at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds.
Weaving Digital Futures Waitangi Treaty Grounds is one of only three facilities nationwide selected by Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand to deliver the digital learning programme, Raranga Matihiko - Weaving Digital Futures. The programme delivers innovative digital technologies to students with limited access to new learning opportunities, while increasing access to national and local exhibitions and collections. Throughout the programme, students solve real-world problems, while enriching their knowledge of their communities and regions. No single programme will be identical, with each class having a bespoke programme plan designed for their learners. This ensures the needs of learners are met and provides support to each learner as they develop digital fluency skills in a cross-curricular approach. This includes building students' understandings of computational thinking, digital citizenship and literacy. Waitangi Treaty Grounds CEO, Greg McManus, says, “this is an amazing opportunity for students in the far North to access state of the art learning opportunities that most schools could only dream of.
“We are very proud that Te Papa has chosen Waitangi as the first venue outside of Wellington to introduce the programme.” The first week of the programme has been well received by schools. Deputy Principal of Ohaeawai School, Alicia Craig, says it was an amazing experience that is in line with the school’s vision of ‘learn, create, share’. “It’s a great opportunity for the students to be exposed to different digital technologies that they wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to use.” The programme is fully funded by the Ministry of Education and provided at no cost to schools. The costs covered include teacher release days, transport to and from Waitangi, and use of all technology available. Waitangi Treaty Grounds has a contract with Te Papa to run the digital lab for two years. The contract includes a fulltime teacher’s salary for an educator based at Waitangi fully dedicated to the lab.
24 | Term 3, 2018 www.principalstoday.co.nz
Educate
Limited places available for 2019
Are you looking to increase your Digital Technologies teaching skills, whilst continuing to teach?
Partial scholarships may be available through Signal and TeachNZ. Find out more: signal.ac.nz/educate
For Digital Technologies Teachers
Commencing February 2019, Educate supports teachers who are introducing the new Digital Technologies curriculum into their teaching and learning programmes. Educate is designed for teachers at all levels; primary, intermediate and secondary, including NCEA Achievement Standards. The programme consists of two University of Canterbury courses, designed to complement a full-time teaching load by integrating your learning with your current teaching over a two-year period. With Educate, you will build on your own experience as a teacher and develop practices in your own context with world leading expertise and resources.
signal.ac.nz 0800 900 024 info@signal.ac.nz
Learning Space | Initiatives
Mind over matter Working in Canterbury since 2013, Mindful Mover has developed a unique set of classes in response to our New Zealand school environments and cultural diversity. So, how can they help your school? What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is the quality of paying
attention in an open, balanced and curious way. For well-rounded students who are ready to learn, we need to develop their minds as well as their intelligence and physical strength. How to be mindful? Mindfulness can be practiced formally in a classroom setting so that when life becomes stressful you have skills to call on. Mindfulness classes teach three key skills: attention control, self-awareness, and emotional regulation.
Mindfulness classes include exercises for focus, breath and relaxation. Teachers practice alongside the students to experience mindfulness and learn ideas to implement in the classroom on a daily basis.
A mindful classroom prioritises focus, calm and respect for all. Through mindfulness, students learn that their actions affect others and that they have the power to make positive choices.
Why mindfulness? Children reflect the nervous systems of the adults around them. An individual child will be more focused and calm when the entire classroom makes the decision to be more mindful.
To learn more about Mindful Mover school programmes, visit www.mindfulmover.co.nz, or contact Johanna at info@mindfulmover.co.nz.
Make your school TREEmendous Every year the Mazda Foundation and Project Crimson visit four schools across New Zealand to turn them into a TREEmendous School, by transforming an area of their grounds into an outdoor learning space where students can reconnect with nature. Launched in 2007, the TREEmendous initiative has been teaching children about the importance of caring for the environment ever since. By the end of 2018, it will have worked with 44 schools from the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South, planting thousands of native trees and creating interactive learning areas across the country. Applying for TREEmendous is fun and helps students engage with nature in a unique way it can even become part of the school’s curriculum. Throughout the application process, teachers are encouraged to help their students to think outside the square – the sky is the limit when it comes to what you could have in your TREEmendous outdoor classroom. Entries to become a TREEmendous School have closed this year and judging is currently underway. Applications to become a TREEmendous School will open again next year, so teachers should plan to apply themselves or have their students apply as a class project.
During the last 10 years, the initiative has created immersive natural learning areas with native plants incorporating bird feeders, weta motels, lizard gardens, fruit orchards and even outdoor stages. So, get planning, let your imagination run wild, and start thinking about all the TREEmendous ways your school grounds could be transformed. Teaching the next generation about the environment is something TREEmendous ambassador Ruud (the Bugman) Kleinpaste is very passionate about and he spends the Friday prior to the TREEmendous events engaging and showing pupils and teachers, in Ruud’s unique manner, how to embrace and become nature literate and care for our environment. Applications are open to all primary and intermediate schools across the country, and can be submitted by teachers, students or even the PTA. This can be in 500 words more or less, a short video or even a picture story board – so get creative. The four winning schools will each receive $10,000 to become a
TREEmendous School. Six finalists will each receive $500. One of this year’s winners’, Trentham School converted an unused field into a native wonderland, complete with mosaic pavers decorated to represent each of their Learning Hub icons Kiwi, Weka, Tui, Pukeko, Ruru and Kea. Another winner, Clifton School, used a special layering gardening technique to plant native trees, helping attract native birds to the area.
Mazda has been a proud partner of Project Crimson since 2004, forging a shared commitment toward protecting and enhancing New Zealand’s natural environment for future generations. So get your thinking caps on and start dreaming how your school could become a TREEmendous School and apply next year! For further information visit: www. treemendous.org.nz.
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Working Space | School camping
Lakeside retreat Lakes Ranch aims to equip children with tools for the future and create lasting memories. The camp provides a challenging but safe environment for this to take place.
"We all grew up where children built a real tree hut, in a real tree. Lakes Ranch is set on 127 acres of outdoor fun and the direction we are moving in is one of adventure. We are helping kids gain confidence in an environment that is both challenging and safe. " Lakes Ranch wants to embrace the past and give kids the opportunity to love
the outdoors, teaching them to look for adventure instead of being bored. The aim is to give kids the skills to minimise risk and the confidence to give things a go, instead of doing nothing for fear of getting hurt. Therefore, the goal is to provide a place where opportunities are available to jump in, have a go, and meet the challenges offered by the site. Activities There is a huge range of activities for school groups to get involved with at the camp. Sports facilities and fields are also available to kick a rugby ball on, or have a game of competitive volleyball. Tennis and badminton are also great games for kids to get involved with and sports gear is available at the camp. Archery and air rifles are also available for the students to try something different, and of course all these activities can be supervised. And don’t forget the camp is a hop, skip and jump to the local attractions Rotorua has to offer. From zorbing to luging, the options are endless. Maybe try a spot of fishing on one of the lakes,
or check out the cultural sites around the region. School holiday programmes Lakes Ranch offers extensive holiday programmes. For those who love to get out into the great outdoors on horse back, from trekking to trotting, the camp offers amazing opportunities to harness your skills on horse back. And you don’t even have to know how to ride a horse. The talented team at the camp can teach you.
the goal is to provide a place where opportunities are available to jump in, have a go, and meet the challenges offered by the site. Lakes Ranch 79 Lake Rotokawau Road RD4 Tikitere Rotorua T (07) 3503010 E office@lakesranch.org.nz www.lakesranch.org.nz
Camp Raglan
is a beautiful campsite situated on the bush-clad slopes of Mt Karioi and has breath taking, panoramic views of the Tasman Sea and beach. It’s a 7-minute drive from the artsy Raglan township where you can visit the many artisan shops or grab an amazing cup of coffee! It is a great place to get away from it all and do everything or nothing!
Our camp activities include: Where Friends and Memories are Made
Paintball, climbing wall, low ropes course, team building activities, confidence course, swimming pool, archery, air-rifles, orienteering, flying fox, table tennis, BMX bikes, volleyball, trampoline, a developed playground area, beach and bush walks, a 6-person hammock, a camping area on a stream edge, sports playing field, and a large gymnasium.
Camp Raglan
has been developed to cater for a wide variety of groups, which include Primary, Intermediate and High Schools with endless scope for learning activities. This includes bush, small stream studies, inner harbour and ocean beach studies, farm and small town studies, just to name a few.
Sleeping Accommodation is essentially under one roof, which provides easy and secure supervision. There is also, on-site, 5 twin rooms and a double room available in Bethel House. Camp Raglan
has a resident cook who provides excellent meals, and with prior arrangements and a small additional fee, special dietary needs such as DF, GF, and Vegetarian, can be catered.
At Camp Raglan,we aim to provide a service and facility that will enrich and enhance your outdoor educational programme. If you have never been to Camp Raglan we warmly invite you to visit our facilities.
Camp Hosts: Marty and Cathy Truman Ph: (07) 825 8068 Email: campraglan@cbm.org.nz Website: www.cbm.org.nz 2018.indd www.principalstoday.co.nz 1 26Principals | Term today 3, 2018
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Working Space | School camping
Venturing outside corridors While the pivotal role that institutional education plays in our society makes it difficult to imagine a world without school, fact is, once upon a time the classroom did not exist. As a catalyst for, and product of, evolution, the process of learning has since been formalised through our education systems. The value of learning is advocated in our schools, promoted by our media and articulated by our predecessors in all the great literature. And while the art of teaching to aid learning has been advanced with the acquisition and implementation of technological teaching tools, learning still has roots in the most humble surroundings. This is not to suggest we abandon the classroom, as it is the environment in which the most valuable knowledge is consumed. The intention behind making mention of the past is to
highlight how learning for thousands of years took place in natural surroundings. And although our intellectual curiousity has been stimulated within the four walls of a classroom, education beyond this realm is also of the utmost importance. Because while traditional education is dressed in a uniform; physical, spiritual and intellectual education also has a recreational personality and the natural environment is an effective pedagogical medium.
Children will be stimulated and develop new skills and appreciation of their world through kinesthetic and aesthetic interaction with an organic environment. Outdoor adventure and education will provide them with challenges which require lateral thinking and the application of selfconceptualised solutions. Education outside the classroom (EOTC) can take place at the zoo, or the beach, in an art gallery or on a field trip. There are also certified EOTC camps that children can attend to
broaden their intellectual, spiritual and physical horizons. The Ministry of Education’s comprehensive EOTC division on its website offers extensive information and tips on how parents, teachers and children can engage in EOTC. Research studies and surveys on outdoor education and its merits are also available for consideration. For more information on EOTC or to review these tips and articles, visit eotc.tki.org.nz.
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BRIAN | 027 573 6766 | TUIRIDGEPARK.CO.NZ | SALES@TUIRIDGEPARK.CO.NZ www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 3, 2018 | 27
Working Space | School trips
Working Space | School photography
May the best shutter win A nationwide photography competition for teenagers has been created and organised by teenagers, to inspire teenagers and promote their work. The Bayleys Foundation New Zealand Secondary School Photography Competition, created by Sally Zhang and Petra Patterson, two Year 13 students from Kristin School in Auckland, provides an opportunity for budding young photographers to expose their art to the wider community. The inaugural competition took place from November, 2017 to late January, 2018, and invited applications from all secondary school students in the country, who could enter any photographs they wished, so long as they fitted the theme of ‘wonder’. Why ‘Wonder’? “Because we want to know what inspires the youth of New Zealand, whether it is the colours of autumn or an act of human kindness. We want to encourage these high school students to seek and actively capture this ‘wonder’ they feel, to find the beauty in the ordinary, especially when the world is being portrayed
Education in an ejector seat Although the Air Force Museum of New Zealand is best known for its military aircraft collection, it’s not just about aeroplanes. Your students could be learning in a real life raft, or be educated in an ejector seat. Located on the former air base at Wigram, Christchurch, they invite visitors to discover the stories of the men and women who have helped shape New Zealand’s aviation history. They share these stories by providing free education programmes to schools and non-profit community groups. Run by trained teachers, the programme content is wide and varied.
in such a negative light”, say the two project managers. From over 400 photographs submitted, only 20 photographs were selected by adjudicators from the Photographic Society of New Zealand, all of whom are PSNZ accredited judges. These photographs were displayed at the Bruce Mason Centre for a month. Sally and Petra are both passionate young photographers who felt that there has been a lack of exposure for the artistic flair of the New Zealand youth. They hope this competition will call for students to flaunt their talent and get them excited about art. But most of all, they want to support teenage artists and nurture their love for photography by providing this opportunity to really showcase their skills. Details for 2018/19 competition are coming soon. For more information, visit: www.nzsspc.com.
can also examine discrimination in contemporary society.” The education programme for this is uniquely designed so that secondary school groups will be led through the exhibition by trained peer educators from their own schools.
CREATIVE PORTRAITS FOR MODERN SCHOOLS W hen you choose Inspire, you’ll find we’re more than just a
“Our programmes currently attract around 6,000 local and travelling education visitors per year to the museum, but with the ability to livestream programme content, we are
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.
“Many thanks for putting on such a superb day for us. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it and learnt so much. The talk hasn’t stopped since and we have all sorts of wonderful learning continuing to happen.” – West Eyreton School
While many students visit to learn about the science of flight, they can also hear about the story of the Anzacs in Gallipoli, the effects of rationing in World War Two, the roles of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), the mechanics of simple machines, survival skills, and more. “We are happy to cover any learning objectives connected to the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF),” they say. “We are privileged to offer opportunities to study other special topics too. Term 3 of 2018 brings us the travelling exhibition Anne Frank: Let Me Be Myself – a story of her life through which we
keen to extend learning opportunities to schools all around New Zealand.” With a purpose-built and interactive classroom, simulator rooms, and behind the scenes access, the museum provides a hands-on learning experience for all ages. “A unique learning environment that cannot be found anywhere else in New Zealand.” You can meet Chris Davey, the education officer, and take a quick introductory tour around the museum by watching the pre-visit video at: www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/learn. “To find out how your students can discover, engage and take time to reflect in our space, please don’t hesitate to contact us.”
04 384 8009
www.inspirefundraisers.net.nz
28 | Term 3, 2018 www.principalstoday.co.nz Inspire 2017.indd 1
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Working Space | Sun safety
The UV factor The greatest risk factor for around 90 percent of skin cancers is over-exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Unfortunately, New Zealand and Australia have the world’s highest rates of melanoma, the most serious skin cancer. Childhood is an important time to avoid over-exposure to the sun. Our skin is like an elephant – it remembers all the sun exposure we’ve ever had. Teaching children SunSmart behaviours will help them develop lifelong sun safe practices. The NZ Cancer Society’s SunSmart Schools Accreditation programme was launched in 2005. This programme is based on the World Health Organisation-endorsed Australian model. It is designed to reduce children’s exposure to UV radiation that causes harm, through support and education in primary and intermediate schools. It is important to regularly review sun protection policies and practices in both schools that are enrolled in the programme and those that are not. In 2017, researchers from the Cancer Society Social and Behavioural
Research Unit at the University of Otago surveyed schools on behalf of the Cancer Society. In total, 1,243 schools participated. The survey covered provision of shade, use of sun protective practices (hats, clothing, sunscreen) and whether schools had a written sun protection policy. Here are some key results:
During Terms 1 and 4, of surveyed schools: • 74% have enough shade for passive activities (eg lunch) • 14% have enough shade for active activities (eg over playgrounds) • 72% only allowed sun protective hats – unfortunately some allowed caps, particularly in the senior school, which undermines best practice • 58% required staff to role model use of a sun protective hat outdoors • 91% have a formal written policy or procedure • 75% encouraged the use of at least SPF 30, broad spectrum sunscreen.
Survey results found that accredited schools performed better than non-accredited schools in 10/12 selfreported sun protection practices recommended in the programme.
Trust supported new shade with our Mahitahi development.
The two exceptions were shade provision and re-scheduling events. Both of these are challenging for schools because of resourcing issues and because high levels of UV radiation can encompass the entire school day. Rakaia School principal Mark Ellis says funding is often a barrier to providing shade in New Zealand schools, however Rakaia School has “worked hard with our School Support Group to develop shade for the children; Aoraki
“Our students can wear a sun safe bucket hat of any colour and all staff wear a hat on duty. Pretty normal stuff, as the sun in Canterbury is severe and we treat it with respect. “Working with Mandy from the Cancer Society has supported our development and the implementation of policy and reaching SunSmart Accreditation, this ensures our school and wider community are supportive of sun safe practices.” For more information, visit www.sunsmartschools.org.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 creat a totally flexible space that can be used year round. Our strong PVC roof blocks 99% of UV rays, making it a Sunsmart choice.
• Extend your usable space • Shade and shelter for students all year round • Keep classrooms cooler in summer and increase productivity! • Modern curved shape enhances any environment • 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
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frescoshades.co.nz www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 3, 2018 | 29
Playing Space | Sports
Fun, friendship and competition For 26 years, the Pita Pit NZ Secondary Schools Netball Champs has been creating more than just champion teams. Sixteen of New Zealand’s top secondary schools come together once every year to showcase their netball skills and vie for the national crown.
The annual tournament, which was established in 1993, is one of the most keenly contested events on the Netball New Zealand calendar.
But national secondary schools coach, Mary-Jane Araroa, says the rich history of the school tournament was about more than just finding the best team in the country.
The Pita Pit NZ Secondary Schools Netball Champs is the goal for school teams competing in regional events throughout the year.
She has seen friendships formed for life at school level, players go on to higher honours, while coaches and team management hone their skills in the tough week-long environment. “There are bragging rights that schools get when they perform, but the week is about so much more,” she says. Mary-Jane speaks highly of the “vibe” in the venue during the four-day tournament and the “hype” for the teams flying their school colours. “It’s an exciting time for these netballers and that’s something we don’t want to lose in this sport. “The flair is there at this age and they have the ‘no fear’ factor and just give everything a go. It’s special to watch. “It’s also an important event when it comes to developing and identifying talent within New Zealand.”
The top five teams from the lower north Island and South Island regional tournaments qualify for the national event, along with the top six from the Upper North Island tournament. This year the national event celebrates 26 years and teams will come together in Timaru from October 9-12 to play for the title of NZ Secondary Schools Champions. “This is where they show their skills, their talent and craft, against the best of the best,” she says of the schoolage athletes. And it’s as much of a test for the coaches and their abilities to get their squads performing at various times of the year. “As a coach, it’s such an early start to the season, and then they have to be able to get teams to peak for their regional events and then peak again for nationals,” she says.
30 | Term 3, 2018 www.principalstoday.co.nz
“It gets even harder when you get to nationals because it’s two games a day — cut throat matches that are full on. It really is the best.” There have been teams which have dominated the history books, with Mt Albert Grammar School winning the Pita Pit NZ Secondary Schools Champs title five times – including four years running from 2012-2015 – along with three-time champions Auckland Girls’ Grammar School (1995, 1998 and 2004).
Then there are those fairy-tale type experiences that truly capture the imagination of all involved – last year Howick College was the talk of the tournament after they went through the four-day event unbeaten to win the national title in their very first attempt. Now a new page is being prepped for the history books as 16 school teams get ready to mark the 26th birthday of the Pita Pit NZ Secondary School Netball Champs.
Is your school cyber safe? Keeping students safe and focused whilst delivering digital learning and modern exploratory pedagogy has been, and continues to be, a significant and costly challenge for schools.
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But now add to this the challenges caused by the rapid take-up of mobile devices and rapid evolution of technology used by students to avoid and obscure activities. VPNs, proxies, hidden calculator apps, encrypted messages, camo modes, self-destruct and hotspotting are the new normal in schools. And further, let’s not forget the challenge handed to unprepared parents when school-mandated devices are taken home. How can the school support parents to make informed choices and where they do, to ensure such choices do not impact lessons and study? These dynamics are at the heart of the cyber safety challenge of schools today. Schools need a solution that provides effective technology to enforce acceptable use policies, they need tools to support student wellbeing and digital citizenship programs and importantly tools which support parents but don’t require the school to absorb parental responsibility. That solution is Family Zone Education Solutions. Family Zone is an ASX listed global leader in cyber safety services. Family Zone has built the world’s first cyber safety ecosystem incorporating technology that works on any device and on any network, with education and wellbeing built-in. This ecosystem has achieved enormous growth in Australia, Asia and the USA since its launch in mid-2016. In 2017 Family Zone merged with NZ edu-tech innovator Linewize to embed
Our Mobile Zone technology is a suite of apps, applications and extensions that can be installed on any device students may bring or use at school regardless of the internet connection - laptops, tablets and smartphones, personal or learning. This technology works in harmony with Linewize on the school network to ensure school policy is always enforced during school time. After school, it’s up to parents, as Family Zone seamlessly transitions responsibility, choice and control to home. The platform includes world leading VPN and malfeasance detection technology, constantly scanning usage and devices to detect violations and hazards, and providing schools with effective control. Included are comprehensive student wellbeing tools including reporting on usage, internet searches, video content, risky apps installed and at-risk behaviours undertaken. Family Zone Education Solutions can be installed on any device, be it a personal or school device, and wellbeing staff can obtain unparalleled insights into behaviours and risks, delivering insights that empower the school to deal with issues before their consequences. Tim Levy, founder and Managing Director of Family Zone, is passionate about cyber safety and driven by a vision in which parents, children and education are embedded into an effective approach to digital citizenship. A model which offers choice and control but supports education and agency.
Tim Levy, founder and Managing Director of Family Zone.
“A school’s core responsibility is educational outcomes. Schools have a fundamental duty to keep students safe. Today both of these objectives are challenged by the advent of mobility. It’s the challenges of the use of personal devices at school and the use of learning devices at home. Addressing these challenges requires a holistic approach, one that engages the parent community, but doesn’t consume school resources. This is Family Zone Education Solutions.”
- Tim Levy
Dealing with the issue of smartphones in schools requires a collaborative approach between schools and the school community. Our Community Engagement team provide a framework for parental engagement, supporting schools to get parents on board.
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