Principals Today #118

Issue 118 Term 2 | 2018

www.principalstoday.co.nz

Learning curves

Education expert Valerie Hannon discusses deeper learning

THE TEACHING PRINCIPAL Paparimu School principal Rachel Evans on the many ‘hats’ she wears each day

Leading the way

TAKING FIRST STEPS INTO THE CLOUD Dollars for sense

Education’s future lies in empowering educators

PLAYING IT SAFE

AROUND ROADS

The rising price of education

IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD A snapshot of autism intervention

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INFO

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CONTENTS 7: WHAT CAN BE LEARNT FROM VIDEO GAMES?

The first-of-its-kind interactive video game teaching sign language

working SPACE

6: LEADING THE WAY

PPTA president Jack Boyle says education’s future lies in empowering educators

6: REDUCE STRESS AND BEAT BURNOUT

Six tips to help handle pressure

ADMINISTRATION

14: PLAYING IT SAFE

Paparimu School principal Rachel Evans talks about the many ‘hats’ she wears each day

The rising price of education

How friendly is your school or playground for the visually impaired?

How to help keep kids safe around roads

learning SPACE

What should we teach, what is relevant, and how to prepare our youth for the future

18: FIRST STEPS INTO THE CLOUD Natural interaction which delivers fantastic learning experiences.

A snapshot of autism intervention in Australian schools

PG 15

Nayland College’s learning

programs to prepare students

for success in the information economy

20: PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM HARMFUL NOISE

MEDIA AGENCY CONSULTANT MEDIA CONSULTANTS

Chrystalle Tylor

The simple tool to protect preschoolers from noise-induced hearing loss

22: FIVE FUN THEMES FOR YOUR CANTEEN

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

NEWSROOM Jonathon Taylor Lydia Truesdale Natalia Rietveld

13: USER-FRIENDLY PLAYGROUNDS

SALES & ADVERTISING Monice Kruger Chris Graves Su Winders

After hours ideas to keep kids occupied and curious

9: DOLLARS FOR SENSE

11: IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD

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

8: THE TEACHING PRINCIPAL

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

12: SCHOOL’S OUT

10: LEARNING CURVES

Clive Greenwood

TOOLS

EDITOR

16

JOURNALISTS

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With a little creativity, theme days can be a fun and cost-effective way to encourage healthy foods

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News | Viewpoints

Robyn Pearce Time management and productivity expert www.gettingagrip.com

Jack Boyle PPTA president www.ppta.org.nz

Leading the way

How to reduce stress and beat burnout

I was fortunate to attend the OECD International Summit of the Teaching Profession in Portugal recently, and it was interesting to see how the issues we are currently facing in Aotearoa are also being grappled with around the globe.

It was very clear that across OECD nations there are real difficulties recruiting and retaining teachers. This situation was directly attributed to low relative pay, increasing complexity of the teaching job and exponential growth in compliance-related tasks.

In countries such as Germany, Norway and the United Kingdom governments have failed to plan for population growth. The parallels with New Zealand were stark.

During a conversation I had with an education minister about the teacher shortages their country was facing, the suggestion that making it easier for teachers from other countries to fill the gaps was met with a guffaw: “Which countries would they come from when there are worsening global shortages?”

Luring teachers from abroad is an ethical issue we must face.

Happily, the actual solutions to teacher shortages discussed by education ministers, union leaders and the OECD at this event were not the ‘free market’ ones that have been advocated in the past.

There is a shared understanding that para-professionals and ‘supply driven, hardware-focussed’ online learning as cheap substitutes for qualified teachers is not the answer.

Top performers like Singapore have invested in paid Initial Teacher Education, guaranteed trained mentoring for the first two years of employment and continuous funded professional learning (150 hours per year) thereafter. Others have invested heavily in reducing teacher workload and/or on-going guaranteed career pathways.

As Education International general secretary David Edwards made clear in his keynote speech, investment in teacher salaries, improved working conditions and a focus on empowering teachers as professionals are urgently needed across the globe.

I attended the previous summit in Edinburgh in 2017 with Minister Parata and the change in rhetoric from our current education minister was heartening to hear.

This time the focus was on making changes to education to meet the needs of the workforce and their communities.

Corporate and ‘market’ reforms were described as less useful than shared decision making, empowering teachers and principals, and supporting schools to be the hub of their communities.

Performance pay, hyper-compliance and charter schools were rightly railed against by all except the United Kingdom.

As we undertake our National Education Conversation and review of the Tomorrow’s Schools model, it was useful for our new minister and officials to hear first-hand how top performing nations are moving away from competition between schools and towards collaboration.

Not only had the highest performing nations such as Singapore, Finland and Hong Kong moved this way but, perhaps most tellingly, OECD reports and speaker Andreis Schleicher are now describing “school choice – and by extension, competition – [as] being related to greater levels of segregation in the school system”.

New Zealand’s international commitment at this conference was a reflection of these threads.

As always, the devil will be in the detail, but rather than being ‘done to’ there was a real sense amongst the New Zealand delegation that we were entering a phase of ‘doing together’ and that by empowering teachers and principals, rather than prescribing what they should be doing, we could continue to be global educational leaders.

Let’s hope we can.

A Southern Cross Health Society survey found that six in 10 New Zealanders feel stressed at least once a week, with this reducing to four in 10 among those aged 50 plus.

The survey also revealed that financial and work related issues stress out younger Kiwis, while their older counterparts are more likely to be stressed by health/potential health issues.

And apparently females are more likely to be stressed for more than half the working week.

We all intellectually know that stress is something to try and avoid, yet when we’re caught in the spiral of it, changing our state seems near impossible.

help you if you can’t see the wood for the trees. Or you might give a family member or colleague permission to call you on marker-post behaviours.

For instance, a family member used to strongly encourage me to stop when I started working extra-long hours.

4. Tidy up your environment An overload of paper, information or clutter is stressful. In my experience, the fastest stress-reducer in town is to sort out your office, and/or any other environment you work or live in.

If you can’t do it alone, find a neat-freak So, what can we do about it, apart from friend to work with you. You have to do feeling depressed at what is apparently the work though, for it’s your stuff and an increasing trend? you need to make the decisions.

The tips following are not designed for very extreme cases, but might be helpful if you’re dealing with lowergrade stress or burnout.

1. Listen to and observe your body

5. Take regular power naps I’ve often written about this as have many others - it’s the fastest way to claw back energy and productivity, counter-intuitive as it sounds.

We all have a weak spot. For some it will be a sore back, or shoulders, or an old injury that starts to ache. For me it was an internal sense of shakiness – not visible to the casual onlooker. Some (mainly women) will burst into tears at inappropriate times. Others will get angry.

6. Schedule time out

There will almost always be something you can defer, delegate or just stop doing. It may be necessary to talk to other stake-holders, but honesty is the best policy. You’ll only end up disappointing them if you keep battling on, for you’re guaranteed to become less and less effective if you don’t change something.

time with deadlines and obligations.

Do nothing! You’ll be amazed how refreshed you feel at the end of the days off.

About every six to eight weeks have a ‘do nothing’ weekend (or a few more days if possible) away from any stresscreating situation.

Don’t do anything looking remotely like work. Ideally switch off your phone.

Give your brain and body a chance 2. Slow down to defrag (to use a computer term) For as long as necessary, cut back on as from your day-to-day cares. Get into much as you can. For most, the easiest nature, do exercise, sleep, relax, read way to decide this is to make a written – whatever your favourite method of list of the tasks on hand – trying to do it chilling out might be. in your head is too confusing.

Don’t rush around socialising or fill your

3. Be mindful of your behaviour Clarity and commonsense are typical casualties of stress and burnout. You might have to ask someone else to

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News | Tools

What can be learnt from video games? scenarios. For example, your character walks through the game, and needs to take a drink. A clue pops up, and shows you the sign. You do it while a camera reads your gesture – and if it's right, you move through to the next stage.

By Lydia Truesdale

There have been many studies over the years that associate strong cognitive benefits with playing video games, including improved coordination, problem solving, memory and concentration.

“Based on cutting edge research, we are constantly evolving the ways of presenting sign language so as to make a difference in as many children’s lives as possible.

But more directly, a first of its kind interactive video game developed in New Zealand is teaching children how to speak and understand sign language, and those trialling it are singing its praises.

SeeCom was established in 2016 by Adele Hauwai, a sign language teacher of more than 30 years. She wanted to share her first-hand knowledge of ‘the power of sign language to transform the communication, learning and lives of those challenged by disability and of their parents, caregivers and educators’.

“SeeCom is a social enterprise.

This is edu-tainment designed for the purpose of boosting literacy, confidence, fine motor skills and cognitive skills, etcetera, through the means of ‘hands on’ learning – digital sign language,” Adele says.

“SeeCom opens up a new world of possibilities through hands on learning.”

organisations are particularly focused on training people who are fluent in te reo Māori to be sign language tutors, and Adele says there has been a lot of interest from ECE teachers and educators in learning it.

SeeCom has been particularly inundated with interest from Māori organisations and schools, including kura kaupapa and kohanga reo.

Its Professional Development sign language classes for schools and

“We've had strong interest from parents of children with disabilities,

KiVa helping to reduce bullying in NZ schools

climate unaccepting of bullying and, instead, encouraging empathy and positive social behaviours. KiVa students are equipped with strategies and confidence to act and defend.

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

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

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

The New Zealand picture is this: There are approximately 750,000 students in New Zealand schools. Statistics tell us approximately 20 percent of New Zealand students are bullied, so we are talking about 150,000 of our young people who are relentlessly targeted.

What makes KiVa different?

KiVa has a strong theoretical basis.

KiVa is based on decades of research and centred on the idea that the way bystanders react either maintains bullying or puts an end to it.

Why is KiVa necessary?

New Zealand’s statistics have not improved: • 2014 TIMSS Report shows only two countries worse than NZ • 2011 TIMSS Report put NZ in the bottom six countries

Although still in its prototype stage, it is hoped the full version will be launched by the end of the year, sold to schools and available to parents to download, and there’s even talk of developing versions compatible with PlayStation and Xbox.

health workers, social workers, kaiako teaching te reo Māori and school teachers.

“It's a win-win for all communities – even opening up employment and education opportunities for people with health limitations but who have the competency and passion to teach reo rotarota.”

The game offers signing expertise, classes and resources that merge signing and technology in practical

There are over 200 sign languages worldwide and apart from developing NZSL sign games and translating them into Te Reo Maori, SeeCom plans on translating the games into American Sign Language, Japanese Sign Language, Chinese (Mandarin) Sign Language, and German Sign Language.

Visit www.seecome.co.nz for more information.

Do you know how many students are bullied in your school?

However you answer this… it’s what you do next that’s important!

• KiVa NZ student surveys show about 20 percent of our students are bullied • Approximately ¼ of NZ bullied students say they don’t tell anyone.

Is KiVa successful?

Yes! • KiVa principals report spending less time on bullying incidents • Students talk about getting a second chance and changing their behaviour

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

• KiVa teams are dealing with less incidents each school term

What is KiVa? KiVa is a school community approach to bullying prevention. It is designed first and foremost to create a school

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

• Student surveys already show an average of 10 percent reduction in bullying.

Students need to feel safe at school.

KiVa is a wholeschool approach to bullying prevention and parents are part of the solution. KiVa students develop strategies and the confidence to act and defend. A KiVa school monitors their progress through an annual on-line student survey.

Aggregated results from the 2017 NZ KiVa survey show a significant drop in being bullied and in perpetrator numbers.

To learn more, contact Deidre at: deidre.vercauteren@accent.ac.nz

or visit: www.kivaprogram.net/nz www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 2, 2018 | 7

Q&A | Rachel Evans

Principal Q&A

The teaching principal

By Natalia Rietveld

Rachel Evans, principal of Paparimu School near Hunua, Auckland, has been teaching since 2003 after graduating from Christchurch College of Education. Her career has seen her teach in Tauranga, Nelson/Tasman and Auckland.

She spoke to Natalia Rietveld about her current role as a teaching principal and the many ‘hats’ she has to wear in one day.

Why did you choose teaching?

I was fortunate in Year 11 to do a weekly placement with a local school for a term, thanks to our career advisor.

At that stage, I had aspirations to be a child psychologist or counsellor.

The job can be demanding and the same amount of 'paperwork' is required of a small school of one/two classrooms, as a much larger school.

Most teaching principals would agree that their teaching role has to take priority and this often leaves office work/admin to be completed out of hours.

I discovered that teaching was an exciting role where every day was different. I loved the rewards of seeing the students develop and of course, every teacher's favourite - being a part of those 'light bulb' moments. I decided teaching was a real opportunity for me to utilise my creativity and interest in child psychology, learning and development.

What do you see as some of the benefits of being a teaching principal?

I am actively involved in all angles and aspects of the school, and so have an excellent knowledge of everything that happens.

Every day I teach, I am able to be a role model to my staff. There is not anything that I expect of them, that I am not also completing or doing. This creates a unique position of coaching and mentoring.

How do you find juggling being a principal and teaching as well?

I teach in the middle/senior class (Y3-8) Monday - Wednesday each week. On those days, my class is my priority. It does feel like a juggling act often; I have had to become good at respectfully saying no to people, other than my class, requiring my attention, which generally goes against my nature.

What are the benefits of a small school?

Small schools are amazing places! We know our students and families really well and foster great, learning-focused relationships. Our students enjoy more 'teacher time' and targeted/ differentiated teaching to their needs.

My release time (two days a week) is scarce, so I need to prioritise how I spend it, and often this will be taken up with the SENCO part of my role.

Small schools are often good at sourcing new learning opportunities for students, simply because of the need. For example, our Y7/8 students are taught online in a virtual classroom and learn their chosen second language each week from a bilingual teacher (via VLN Primary).

What are some of the challenges that come with being a teaching principal?

As a teaching principal, we are everything to everyone! On any given day, I can have many 'hats' on and fulfil many different roles - principal, teacher, SENCO, office manager, nurse, accountant, counsellor, cleaner, caretaker and property manager, and the list goes on!

Change management can happen quickly in a small school, and this can be an exciting path to be part of. Small schools are places where education really can be reimagined.

What advice would you give fellow educators looking to step into a rural environment or who are stepping into a teaching principal role?

It is a rewarding experience. You will work hard however, you will learn everything from the ground up and the growth experienced is incredible.

Some people view attaining a principal position in a small school (especially our U1/U2 schools) as a 'stepping stone' to a larger school principalship, and traditionally the attrition rate in these U1/U2 positions can be high due to this.

I would challenge this and say that all our schools deserve devoted staff who see the position as more than a short-term role until they can jump to a bigger school.

Networking with other small school teaching principals is vital for survival!

No other principal is going to

If you were the Minister of Education what changes would you establish to make your role, and those in a similar role, easier?

Teaching principals desperately need more release time from the classroom to enable them to focus on leading the learning in their schools. U1 schools, especially those that are sole charge, need health and safety considered so there is more than one adult on site at all times.

We need talented, hardworking and dedicated principals in our small schools - the job simply needs to pay more to attract and retain the right people.

For example, most deputy/assistant principals in large schools would be paid a significant amount more than a U1/U2 principal. That is hugely unjust in my mind, because as the saying goes, 'the buck stops with us'.

"Teaching principals desperately need more release time from the classroom to enable them to focus on leading the learning in their schools. U1 schools, especially those that are sole charge, need health and safety considered so there is more than one adult on site at all times. " - Rachel Evans

understand and give advice for the days when the neighbours piglets escape and root up your field, how to organise Calf Club day, or how you can sterilise the water in your water tank!

PS - don't do it for the money!

The job carries a huge amount of responsibility. Additionally, we also would advocate for similar things as larger schools, for example; increased support for students with differentiated learning needs and funding for support staff.

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News | Finance

Dollars for sense The cost of education in New Zealand has soared 42 percent in the past decade, almost double the 22 percent rise in wage growth in the same period.

This is the conclusion of the ASG Planning for Education Index study, independently verified by Foreseechange in Melbourne, and based on more than 2,000 responses.

It discovered that for a child born in 2018, the estimated cost of a private education across New Zealand is $360,074.

The forecast cost of a state integrated education could cost parents $102,730 per child, while the estimated cost of a state education is $38,227.

The estimated cost of a private education across New Zealand has soared by 42 percent or $106,267 in the past 10 years. The cost of a state integrated education has jumped by 30 percent or $23,439. The estimated cost of a state education has climbed by 13 percent or $4,451 since 2008.

On a positive note, while education costs continue to rise, the rate of

increase has declined relative to last year for state integrated and state education. As a result, a drop in the forecast cost of education has been noted in both these sectors.

The fall in the forecast cost of education has been heavily influenced by slower price rises within secondary and primary education.

emphasise, the actual costs associated with sending your child to any school in New Zealand continues to increase each year.”

School fees continue to be a major education expense, but many parents fail to appreciate the additional expenses associated with funding a child’s education. This includes extracurricular activities, computers,

“In the past decade the cost of education has grown markedly, by 42 percent, compared to the average growth rate in wages of 22 percent."

- ASG_COO Bruce Hawkins

ASG COO Bruce Hawkins says the cost of education has risen at more than double the rate of inflation over the past 10 years and has outstripped the growth in wages over the same period.

“In the past decade the cost of education has grown markedly, by 42 percent, compared to the average growth rate in wages of 22 percent.

“This means that education costs are demanding a far greater share of the family wallet than in the past, placing more burden on the average family, already challenged by the rising cost of living.

“It is pleasing to see that low inflation is having a positive impact on costs for state and integrated schools, but I must

travel expenses, uniforms, school excursions and camps.

ASG's Planning for Education Index forecasts that parents who plan to educate a child in the private school system over 13 years, could pay $54,784 for other non-fee education costs. This is significantly more than parents with children at state integrated schools ($39,614) and state schools ($29,330).

In comparison to Australian parents, New Zealand families don’t have to dig as deep into the family budget, with Australian parents paying a premium for 13 years of schooling across state and private sectors.

The Index reveals for a child born in 2018, Australian parents could pay

almost double (90 percent), or an extra $34,501, to send their child to a government school in metropolitan Australia. The difference in the forecast cost of a private education between the two countries is 45 percent, with Australian parents expecting to pay $161,200 more than New Zealand parents.

ASG member Mele Kautoke sends her three children (Vaiola, Year 5), (Filomena Year 4), (Alfred, Year 1) to a Catholic primary school. She says it’s hard to keep up with the costs of education and other living expenses despite her and her husband both working full time.

“We’re constantly behind in school fees, because we’re also paying kindy fees for Matthias (two years old). So with four children to put through Catholic school, it’s a constant battle and there’s not much assistance for middle to high income families.

“Sometimes it feels like treading water, although it’s a necessary evil, as is shelter, food, water and power, so it’s just another thing you have to keep on top of.

“Our children don’t do as many extracurricular activities as we’d like them to and we’ve never been able to put them into swimming lessons because it’s just too expensive. But they’re involved in hip hop classes and rugby, which is more affordable, and Vaiola has guitar lessons which is about $300 per term."

Hassle-free bookkeeping Education Services Ltd is a private company that specialises in providing accounting services to schools.

“We currently have over 680 school clients – we are the largest school accounting provider in New Zealand.”

Why do so many schools use education services? The reasons are many, and varied – but some common themes keep coming up again and again.

1) Cost – contrary to popular belief, it is cheaper to outsource your accounting and creditor payment functions than buying some software and paying someone wages to complete those functions.

2) Peace of mind – we have not met too many principals who want to spend time learning the dark arts of the accounting world. Funnily enough their passion is education – so by outsourcing to Education Services they know everything is done on time, every time, be it paying your bills, doing monthly reports for boards, GST returns, asset registers, and annual accounts to audit. We lessen the admin load at the school.

3) Fraud and misappropriation – by getting Education Services to pay your bills, you know the money is going to find its way to the right person – not “someone else’s” bank account. We independently check the bank account is correct for your creditors. Ninety percent of school fraud and misappropriation happens at schools where an employee pays the school bills...food for thought.

4) Advice and assistance – you have an expert on call whenever you need us, and a second pair of eyes helping you manage your school finances.

5) And finally – our reports are school specific, not a business report that is not fit for purpose. Our reporting, be it real time or hardcopy is second to none.

Can you afford to not have Education Services partner your school?

Financial Reporting Education Services provides a Financial Reporting Service to over 660 New Zealand schools - we are the largest provider of accounting services to school’s in New Zealand - and would love the opportunity to help you.

Take all the worry out of Financial Management (Including completing your Annual Financial Statements in the new reporting format with ease) and have everything done on time, every time and done right!

We have an office and personnel near you: Whangarei, Auckland, Hamilton, Rotorua, New Plymouth, Whanganui and Wellington.

If you would like a no obligation quote to compare the cost of our service to what you are currently receiving, or would like to enquire exactly what our service involves, please phone:

Pete on 06 757 5489 or email: pete@educationservices.co.nz www.eductionservices.co.nz www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 2, 2018 | 9

Interview | Valerie Hannon

Learning curves

By Natalia Rietveld

What is the purpose of education? That is the question posed by preeminent education expert Valerie Hannon in light of significant changes on the horizon to New Zealand’s education system.

Valerie recently touched down in New Zealand to meet with a select group of local community, education leaders and policy makers in a prelude to August’s Thrive event.

Valerie has dedicated her life to education and her colorful resume pays homage to that. Valarie co-founded Innovation Unit and leads Innovation Unit’s international education work.

She has supported education change programmes around the world, including the UK, Europe, USA, Australia and Africa, and is a founding member and co-chair of the Global Education Leaders Partnership (GELP).

Valerie has lead numerous Innovation Unit education programmes, including Learning Frontiers in Australia and is an expert adviser on education to the OECD, while still managing to find spare time to write her book Thrive: Schools reinvented for the real challenges we face, released in May 2017.

Valerie says the education system we have in place is relatively successful, which poses half the problem; “It’s not creaking, it’s not collapsing, people aren’t rioting in the streets,” she explains “but there are some profound failings,” suggesting that in terms of 21st century criteria, it’s not quite good enough.

“Your minister put it succinctly when he remarked that the old paradigm of schooling education won’t cut it in the future, and I thought it was a pretty neat way of encapsulating an issue.”

This issue is not unique to us, but we are now beginning to see the need for new ways of thinking and similar thought processes are happening across the ditch.

prototype different ways of going about and creating schools that address current issues and engage learners from all backgrounds. A similar programme dubbed Schools of the Future is currently getting underway in New South Wales.

These changes come with the understanding and acknowledgement that education can address the challenges faced in our communities, such as sustainability, digital disruption, mental health and climate change, and it needs to be a partnership between the private and public system.

Considering the constant evolution of our environment and our society, it poses the questions of what do we teach, what is relevant, and how do we prepare our youth for the future when the future is unknown?

Valerie clarifies that a basic core curriculum will always have its place, but pedagogies will evolve.

“Those are the things that excite young people, turning them into hungry learners rather than reluctant learners.

“Across all subjects there is a strong need to define a basic core curriculum entitlement.

“It’s about striking that balance and it will be different for every jurisdiction and every community, so searching for that balance is the right way to go, therefore the role of the teacher becomes a very different one.

“Most jurisdictions recognise that what you want to do is create a concept in which you don’t have a curriculum that is a mile wide and an inch thin, but

- Valerie Hannon

They worked in communities of practice together, to design and

“That said, if you shift the balance in the direction that I would suggest, you free up a lot more time for young people to pursue at depths their passions and profound interests, discover new interests, and also to become immersed in learning that is relevant to their community and relevant to the lives they are living.

“Everywhere, if you look at the research findings around engagement, a key driver for engagement is that young people learn what is relevant to them, either in terms of a possible work path for the future or possible issues and challenges that their communities are facing.

“The key initiatives around the world are about deeper learning, not wider learning. I certainly wouldn’t advocate eliminating any requirements around curriculum all together, because I don’t think that would be in the best interests of all learners.”

As stated previously, Valerie supported Learning Frontiers in Australia, which was sponsored by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. Learning Frontiers saw five different cities redesign their schools and systems for the conditions of the 21st century.

curriculum all together, because I don’t think that would be in the best interests of all learners.

rather you provide strong foundations and the capacities of learning how to learn, and enable young people to use technologies and to use the guidance of an expert teacher to take things to depth.

“The key initiatives around the world are about deeper learning, not wider learning. I certainly wouldn’t advocate eliminating any requirements around

10 | Term 2, 2018 www.principalstoday.co.nz

The Innovation Unit believes that for young people to thrive they need: • The right conditions for well-being – to grow up safe and well, and to be nurtured through strong supportive relationships • Opportunities to develop as people and citizens – to create their own path and a positive personal identity, to develop empathy so they can live and contribute alongside others and as part of a diverse global community • Agency that is built on both knowledge and skills – to fulfil their individual potential, to be able to deal with and respond to change positively, to create, lead and pursue opportunities, to act collectively to create better futures for themselves and others.

“There will be huge need for subject expertise, but increasingly, the role of teachers and other professionals in education will be a choreography of learning, designers of great learning and experiences, and that’s going to be the new pedagogical skill in the future I think.”

Though there might be a lot of work ahead of us and still much discussion to be had, we can rest assured knowing we are on the right path.

“I truly do believe Minister Hipkins thinking about the issues of ‘purpose’ and setting that vision /refreshing that, in ways which are authentic, will be the right foundation, because you can then really measure up what you’ve got compared to what is needed; not throw babies out with the bath water, but start to get really intentional about designing a new system set for purpose.”

Valerie Hannon.

News | In the Classroom

It takes a village to raise a child A snapshot of autism intervention in Australian schools

By Jenny Levitan

Differences should be valued and celebrated, rather than as seen as overwhelming and insurmountable blockers.

Additionally, educational practice needs to give consideration and opportunity to every student, so that everybody works towards reaching their fullest potential.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental disorder, has inclusion in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5, 2013), and at times, these learners may be unfairly labelled as square pegs that need to fit our constructed, round holes?

To enable students on the spectrum to access learning and develop positive relationships, just as their peers are doing, requires looking through a personalised learning lens.

The expectation that educational workplaces operate under the very clear Disability Standards for Education, gives ASD intervention not only a legislatively denied guideline, but also channels a school’s undisputed obligation and responsibility for planning intervention action that is considered proactive and responsive towards the needs of ASD students.

Educational intent needs to focus on measures and frameworks that successfully and positively allow learning, social connection, inclusion, participation and access at school, for each and every learner, irrespective of disability.

Asking, ‘what does my ASD student need, to make his/her school

response, allows for forward thinking and contemporary school practice.

enables positive, lifelong learning and experiences for all.

Effective intervention needs and relies on many voices within a school.

Multiple, diverse, well-evidenced, complimenting and reflective ideas and strategies allow for conversations, whereby every unique autistic child is central to practice.

Professional learning and development is a paramount prerequisite for ASD intervention. For optimal teaching and learning, the most current evidencebased ASD interventions need to be known, included in planning and practice, and as early as possible.

Focusing on the merits of social and communication skill enhancement, and facilitating safe opportunities whereby

Learning and interventions are processes and can take time. New learning and experiences are steps towards enhanced skill development.

Aiming to meet the needs of an entire school cohort and seeing value and potential in every student enables positive, lifelong learning and experiences for all. experiences engaging, positive and successful?’, is a good prompting, beginning question.

these skills can be taught, learnt and practiced, enables inclusive and successful ASD practice.

Developing and highlighting an individual profile of student strengths can then guide and inform appropriate intervention.

An intervention framework that adopts wraparound and positive beliefs within their management and practices should be sought.

Being of the mindset that areas of challenge are not reasons for exclusion or reactive, deficit-based or punitive

Aiming to meet the needs of an entire school cohort and seeing value and potential in every student

This is empowering, building capacity for both teachers and their ASD students.

Collaborative, calm, consistent and committed intervention practice by all can be life changing for any ASD student.

Within our schools, we can all play a part and be in the village that raises an ASD child.

Jenny Levitan created STRIDE Behaviour to support educators with the use of positive behaviours and interventions.

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www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 2, 2018 | 11

Working Space | Before and After School

School’s out

By Natalia Rietveld

Being a working parent/caregiver can be difficult to juggle. In the perfect world, we could be there for school pick up and drop off while still working a full-time job.

However, work and school hours don’t often work in harmony, particularly during the school holidays. In these cases, before/after school care and

Find your local MASH: • Christchurch • Merivale • Riccarton • Bromley • Woolston • Flipout – Maces Road • Sumner • Queenspark • Heathcote • Burnside • Amberley • Pegasus • Timaru • Gleniti • Highfield • Temuka • Dunedin Central

holiday programmes are lifesaving – well at least it can definitely feel that way.

It is illegal in New Zealand to leave children under the age of 14 without care, therefore care must be arranged if parents/caregivers are unable to collect children from school.

Programmes such as MASH, provide affordable care that can be trusted.

MASH has been running since 2012, founded by Craig Fortune who is a registered teacher with 10 years classroom experience under his belt.

MASH provides a safe and secure environment for children to connect with others, try some new and exciting activities and get help with their homework if they need it. MASH is not a classroom and it has an understanding that after a long day at school, children need a break from that environment.

Their afternoons are semi-structured.

Children will arrive shortly after 3pm where afternoon tea is provided; this is an opportunity to sit down, relax and share conversation with each other while filling their bellies.

IS YOUR SCHOOL’S CURRENT ‘OUT OF SCHOOL PROVIDER’ : ê MSD, OSCAR & WINZ approved? ê ADDING VALUE to the lives of your children & their families? ê Providing a SAFE, SECURE & EXCITING environment? ê PROFESSIONALLY administered and delivered? ê Staffed by WELL TRAINED, PASSIONATE people? ê Providing programmes SPECIFIC to YOUR school & reflecting YOUR community? ê Providing a combination of SUPERVISED FREE PLAY and a variety of well PLANNED & STRUCTURED activities? ê A place where your children WANT to be?

A MASH OUT OF SCHOOL PROGRAMME CAN PROVIDE ALL THIS AND MORE. CALL US TODAY.

12 | Term 2, 2018 www.principalstoday.co.nz

From 4pm an organised activity gets underway. These activities are specifically designed for the children they cater for, they’re age-appropriate, fun and will help children grow their academic, creative and/or physical skillset. Children have the option whether or not they want to join in.

Parents can rest assured knowing these programs are fun for their children. It provides a platform for children to make lasting friendships outside of the school setting, improving their social skills on top of all else.

The staff are dedicated to ensuring all children feel welcomed and included – the children’s smiles say it all.

In the holidays MASH programmes step it up a notch. The holidays are brimming with day trips, baking, discos, crafts and plenty of games. It is a holiday after all.

The holidays open up the opportunity to expose children to new activities and experiences and there is no shortage of them at MASH. From adventures to the Margaret Mahy playground in Christchurch to testing out their skills in archery, unlocking new interests is just in a day’s work.

Though working full-time and raising children can be difficult to juggle programmes like MASH are making it possible.

IS YOUR SCHOOL LOOKING FOR AN OUT OF SCHOOL PROGRAMME PROVIDER OR ARE YOU WANTING A CHANGE FROM YOUR CURRENT PROVIDER? CONTACT CRAIG FOR MORE INFORMATION: (03) 366 9408 CRAIG@MASHKIDS.CO.NZ

Working Space | Playgrounds

Designing playgrounds with a purpose

By Natalia Rietveld

How user-friendly is your school or playground for those who are visually impaired or blind?

There are many challenges a child who is blind will face on a daily basis; their free time shouldn’t have to be one of those challenges.

A fantastic example of a playground fit for purpose is at the BLENNZ (The Blind and Low Vision Education Network) Homai Campus.

Designed with the help of Jill Rice from Get Outside Limited, the playground is a clever space that is designed to be fully-inclusive regardless of abilities. It includes decks, handrails, and special colours to aid those with visual impairments offering greater independency.

“The biggest challenge was making the large play space easy to navigate, without dumbing down the opportunities for the students to challenge themselves,” Jill says.

that any of these students face multiple challenges, and wheelchair accessibility was also important.”

Using bright colours is a given when creating a playground that is attractive to young children and is important for those with vision difficulties - bright colours are easier to see and therefore easier to navigate.

Bright colouring can also be used to highlight safety issues such as corners, steps and dips, as was the case at the Homai Campus. “Aspects that are successful in assisting the students include: yellow handrails along ramps and stairs; white lines painted along edges of bike paths; yellow lines painted along edges of steps,” but these changes are just the beginning.

Incorporating features that use the children’s senses other than sight, such as touch, smell and hearing, to navigate and interact, are going to make a world of difference.

Touch

“The goal was to support them to become more independent, not to make them feel ‘special’.

Unique tactile elements can help to distinguish different areas of the playground and when used on pathways guide orientation.

“Vision impaired students need to learn how to manage the kinds of spaces and paths they come across in the ‘real world’. It was also important to realise

It doesn’t take much to create different textures and it can be done inexpensively, with the use of bark and stones or mosaics, rather than

expensive matting if a limited budget is a concern.

Using different textures around the base of play equipment, such as slides and poles, is a great safety mechanism and can aid in avoiding collisions.

Smell The use of various plants around a playground, offering different scents and textures, is another element that can be used. When placed strategically it’s another aid in orientation, fresh herbs are great for this and are fun for children to help grow and harvest as well.

Sound A playground in Cape Town, South Africa, designed specifically for blind children, used bells on their swings. A

really simple adaptation that helped determine the height in which children were swinging so those around the swings knew to be vigilant.

The new water park in Christchurch’s, New Brighton includes musical instruments which are a hit with all the children. Incorporate a different sound to each area and children with visual impairments will know where they are at all times.

The most important thing, says Jill, “is to provide visual and tactile cues, so when children are approaching something in the play space that could be a hazard… they can take necessary precautions”.

If even one child can benefit from these elements, it’s a job worth doing.

www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 2, 2018 | 13

Working Space | Safe Schools

The benefits of the Burgess system Matting and surfacing products made to your specifications The reasons for using and benefits of a Burgess Wetpour system are varied. This great playground surface enables your matting to be installed as a continuous installation, flowing around equipment and poles, leaving no gaps, rolling over mounds and following contoured surfaces.

Some of the key features for using this system are: • Continuous installation • Fabulous coloured options and you can join these with a pattern or design of your choice and you have your own unique playground • 100 percent recycled rubber.

Wetpour is installed onsite in a similar way to pouring concrete. The resulting surface is dry and ready to play on the following day. One square metre shockpads are laid over a compacted base and then 15mm of rubber is laid on top (in line with safety standards).

The thickness of the rubber applied is dependant on the required fall heights and substates.

Unique patterns and designs can easily be incorporated into this flexible system. It is the most economic of systems for larger installations and can be contoured and moulded over existing mounds etc.

There is a choice of seven standard colours: Marigold (auburn), Tan, Sage,

Light Grey, Black, Forest Green and Terracotta Red. Impact pads for areas where a softer landing is needed, scuff pads, DIY modular long run and tiles, deck and ramp matting are also BMS specialties.

The benefits of these products include: • Non slip and safe • Avoids tile joins • Wetpour requires minimal maintenance • Will last for many years as it’s very durable.

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

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

Invest in BMS Wetpour playground matting and provide your children with a safe and enjoyable environment and give yourself the benefit of reduced maintenance.

Burgess Matting 0800 80 85 70 admin@burgessmatting.co.nz www.burgessmatting.co.nz

Playing it safe around roads Safekids Aotearoa shares some valuable safety messages to help keep kids safe around roads; whether they are riding in the car, cycling, scootering or walking to school.

PLAYGROUND SAFETY SOLUTIONS CUSTOM MADE FROM RECYCLED RUBBER

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For students • They’re safer in a booster seat until they’re 148cm. Primary school children seated in booster seats in the back seat of the car are 59 percent less likely to be injured in a crash than children using a seat belt alone • No helmet, no brain. Wearing safety helmets when cycling or scootering or skateboarding to school is a must.

For cyclists, wearing helmets reduces the likelihood of severe brain injury by 74 percent • Devices down, heads up when crossing the road. Tell children to remove their earphones when crossing the road, and to stop walking if they need to make a phone call or send a text message • Watch out for sneaky driveways. If you can’t see the driveway from the footpath, remember to stop, look and listen as if you are crossing the road to make sure there are no cars exiting the driveway.

Call: 0800 80 85 70 Email: sales@burgessmatting.co.nz www.burgessmatting.co.nz 14 | Term 2, 2018 www.principalstoday.co.nz

For drivers • Double check those intersections and crossings. A student might dart across the street when you least anticipate it. They’re also pretty hard to see in between parked cars.

Making full stops at intersections and slowing down in high pedestrian

traffic areas will give you the time you need to be completely sure the road is clear of children • Slow down at school zones at all times. School zones have signs that require you to obey a lower speed limit. Some school signs are turned on before and after school and other times such as lunch time.

Safekids Aotearoa encourages drivers to slow down at school zones at all times and even on weekends. An evening event or a weekend game might be happening, so you still need to watch out for kids.

• Passing school buses. Either way it’s 20kph. If a school bus has stopped the law requires you to slow down and drive at 20km/h or less until you are well past — no matter which direction you are driving from.

About Safekids Aotearoa Safekids Aotearoa is the injury prevention service of Starship Children’s Health and a member of Safe Kids Worldwide.

Its mission is to reduce the incidence and severity of unintentional injuries to New Zealand's children up to 14 years old.

For more information, visit: www.safekids.nz.

Orana Wildlife Park

Natural interaction which delivers fantastic learning experiences When Toby Johnson was a teenager he was grappling with depression, but it wasn’t until his late twenties that he was diagnosed and effectively treated.

Orana Wildlife Park hosts close to 10,000 students per year via their Learning Experiences Outside the Classroom contract with the Ministry of Education.

“We do it very differently to the other zoos. We offer a gate-to-gate experience with custom written education programmes.

It’s for this reason that he’s keen to normalise mental health issues for both the students and staff who spend time at Orana Wildlife Park.

“We meet them at the gate, we bring them in, our teachers work with them in groups of about 20 – 25 students throughout their day and then we take them out the gate at the end.”

An education manager who used to teach science at high school, Toby sees issues such as the de-stigmatisation of mental health, safety, consistency and continuity for both students and the animals, as key at the Park right now.

As a community asset, Orana Wildlife Park strives to be accessible to all. In particular, the Zoo School has worked hard to gather a variety of staff with specialised skill sets to accommodate all manner of students and cater for all students learning needs.

“In the modern environment there’s a wider recognition that one in six people are afflicted [with mental health challenges] at some point in their life, so by being open about it, to the point it’s almost an office joke, it’s made it possible for others to approach me to discuss their options in seeking help.”

Interaction with animals has been proven to cross barriers that cannot otherwise be bridged, so these encounters form the basis of tailored programmes for students with special needs.

He says both for those who are suffering and need help, and for those who have moved past it and have it under control “we need to be open about the fact that it’s managed, it’s under control and it’s no big problem, so that others can see us as mentors and can see that it’s not insurmountable.

“It doesn’t need to rule your life and you can manage it and can get on with enjoying your life.

“We’ve had a student come through here suffering from a fairly severe anxiety disorder with a class teacher who knew me very well. She pointed me out to the student, and then just left it to me, to see if the opportunity presented itself to discuss it and it did. It turned into a discussion point that probably half the students engaged in, more so than I’ve heard from a lot of adult groups.

Talking to the girl afterwards, she felt like it had normalised the issue.”

Regardless of physical impediment or behavioural and emotional disorder, the multi-sensory approach Orana Park employs aims to ensure all students can be supported and engaged.

The qualities of consistency and continuity at Orana Park are as important for the kids as they are for the animals, explains Toby.

With the My Place in Space work, he says they look at cues in the night and day sky that have an impact on animals and how the animals use those.

For example, zebra migrate using the equivalent of a sun compass. They teach students how to use their watch as a compass, to navigate, which is very similar to the way zebra operate.

The Orana team used World War One propaganda posters to teach a visual English class, to Year seven students.

“There’s that classic picture of a gorilla in a World War One German helmet carrying off a woman. We took the students to see gorillas and form their own impression of them.

“We used printed media or a BYO device system so students could zoom in and look at the propaganda.

Then we discussed the propaganda values, how the image was manipulated and the language that was used.

It was fantastic.”

Orana Wildlife Park 793 McLeans Island Rd Christchurch (03) 359 7109 info@oranawildlifepark.co.nz www.oranawildlifepark.co.nz

“Every student asks us how we get the rhinos to go away at night, 90 percent of that is routine. If we consistently do the same thing, the animals know what our expectation of them is, and they can live up to it beautifully.”

Toby says they write the education experience to match what the teacher is doing in the classroom. “So we’ve used our animal collection here, to teach My Place in Space, World War One and other topics. There’s always a connection there’s always a way.”

OPEN 10AM - 5PM DAILY Last entrance is 4.00pm, although it is recommended to allow at least two hours visit duration to make the most of your Park experience.

Harewood School students engaged in learning activities at the Park.

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SECONDARY & TERTIARY DIARIES There are many ways you can personalise your student diaries, such as by providing artwork for the cover and including rules and regulations specific to your school at the front of your diaries. Other ways to personalise your diaries are being able to choose the type of binding and also the layout of your internal January-December diary pages.

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16 | Term 2, 2018 www.principalstoday.co.nz

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Family Zone Education Solutions 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.

But now add to this the challenges caused by 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 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 and Linewize 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, and with education and wellbeing built-in.

This ecosystem has achieved enormous growth in Australia, Asia and USA since its launch in mid-2016.

In 2017 Family Zone merged with NZ edu-tech innovator Linewize to embed Linewize's world-beating school network technology into the platform. This game changing merged platform is now available in New Zealand.

Family Zone education delivers a world-first holistic solution. 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 in 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 parents.

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, videos viewed, risky apps installed and risky behaviours undertaken. Because Family Zone's service can be installed on any device, be it a personal or school device, well-being staff obtain unparalleled insights into behaviours and risks. 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.

fundamental duty to keep students safe.

Today both of these objectives are challenged by the advent of mobility,” Tim says. “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.”

Dealing with the issue of smartphones in schools requires a collaborative approach between schools and the school community.

The wrap-around eco-system approach Family Zone education solutions offers, enables cyber safety anywhere, any time, on any device. With the physical boundaries of school increasingly blurred, kids stay safe online whether at school, on the move or at home.

Could this be an issue in your school?

To help schools understand cyber safety issues on their network, we are offering a cyber safety network audit for a limited time.

We analyse seven days of network traffic and provide a report that highlights VPN use, dangerous apps, adult content access, social media use and more.

The report benchmarks your school’s results against network data collected from similar New Zealand schools, providing comparative data and insights into online behaviour.

"A school's core responsibility is educational outcomes. Schools have a

If you’d like to quantify cyber safety on your school network, give us a call on 09 888 9285 or email info@linewize.com

FREE NETWORK CYBER SAFETY AUDIT OFFER

Tim Levy, founder and Managing Director of Family Zone

Linewize is offering the opportunity to audit cyber safety on your school network.

You’ll receive a custom report that highlights cyber safety and network issues including social media use, dangerous app use and content filter evasion.

Results are benchmarked against data from comparative schools to help you identify any actions required to keep students safe online.

This is a strictly limited offer.

Book now at linewize.com/audit

Learning Space | Technology

First steps into the cloud Nayland College was recently announced as a Microsoft Showcase School to acknowledge the high quality digital transformation of the school.

As a partner in the Ministry of Education Cloud Transformation Project, the Nelson school has saved over $150,000 on hardware and transformed learning with a new suite of teaching and learning tools through Microsoft Office 365.

Nayland College offers its 1,000 students a curriculum of learning programs designed to prepare them for scholastic and professional success in the modern information economy.

Thanks to the Ministry of Education SNUP programme and investment by the school, Nayland College has a leading-edge cabled and wireless IT infrastructure designed to provide the school community with easy access to its technology resources.

Principal Daniel Wilson says Nayland wants to make sure those resources include the tools that both teachers and students need to succeed.

“We want our students to develop the 21st century skills they need to excel,” Daniel says.

“And we want our teachers to have strong professional development programs so they can provide students with the learning opportunities that will cultivate those skills. We also want to make sure that our infrastructure is able to keep up with technological changes so it continues to meet our requirements.”

Finding a solution for the school Because of the drawbacks of the system that was in place when Daniel joined the school, they chose to work with Microsoft partner and education expert pcMedia on a plan to migrate to the Microsoft Office 365 Pro Plus hosted suite of productivity applications.

The initial goal was to finish the migration in 18 months, but once the school started using the solution, the timeline became shorter.

“Our teachers were extremely enthusiastic about Office 365, and they were eager to learn more about how to use new tools, like Microsoft OneNote, to enhance teaching and learning.

“The initial rate of adoption exceeded expectations, so we were able to complete the migration more quickly than we originally anticipated.”

Within six months, all staff members were using Office 365 as their primary teaching and learning tool.

Students Max Miller and Thomas Kingsbury.

Nayland helped streamline the adoption process by putting an emphasis on comprehensive professional development for faculty and staff. “pcMedia provided us with a Microsoft teacher ambassador who conducted individual and group training,” Daniel says. “We also offered video tutorials and a OneNote staff handbook, and we set up lead teachers within departments as a peer resource.” pcMedia also made the transition easier by providing a hybrid strategy that enabled staff and students to move from the previous system to Office 365 at their own pace.

To do this, pcMedia modified the Office 365 application launcher so that all of the school’s key systems were accessible from a single place, giving users time to become familiar and comfortable with the Office 365 interface.

The pcMedia solution also made things easier by using Microsoft Azure Active Directory to provide single sign-on (SSO) capabilities, so that users could access multiple online tools and systems without the need to log in separately to each one.

This enabled Nayland to eliminate a third-party SSO software package it had been using, saving both money and administration time. The school’s applications and devices now all rely on Azure Active Directory for authentication.

Nayland is using the Microsoft Azure cloud platform to store off-site backups of the on-premises SMS. Between Azure and Office 365, the school now has 90 percent of its data and services in the Microsoft cloud,

18 | Term 2, 2018 www.principalstoday.co.nz

with only legacy applications and some large graphics files on a single server at the school.

Providing benefits for the entire school community Now that Nayland has completed its Office 365 migration, the school has access to a wide range of tools that enhance communication and collaboration capabilities, including Skype for Business, OneDrive for Business, and SharePoint Online.

Saff and students are able to access course content and files at any time, from anywhere that they have an Internet connection. Communication between students and teachers has increased, and teachers can more easily enhance and customise class materials.

“Our teachers can create more dynamic lessons through the use of video, which they can easily record directly into OneNote,” Daniel says.

Through the Cloud Transformation pilot, Nayland College has taken important steps on the pathway to a digital transformation of the school.

Teachers are excited about the technology and exploring its many available options, and there is greater collaboration and sharing of expertise across the entire organisation.

The project has been a success and its benefits are spread across the whole school community.

“Working alongside pcMedia and Microsoft, we have been able to implement a robust, extremely cost effective, and innovative solution that meets and responds to the learning needs of our students and the professional needs of our staff,” Daniel says.

“They can also create more personalised and differentiated learning programs and choose from multiple modes of assessment to best meet the needs of each student.

Teachers are also finding innovative ways to use tools like OneNote to support dyslexic students and to integrate field and classroom studies.”

Because Nayland is using Office 365 ProPlus, students have the option to install the software on their own devices, so they have access to the same tools at home that they do at school.

Daniel has also noticed students are increasingly using educational apps on their own devices. Parents are now able to be more involved in learning because they can see student work at home.

Nayland College principal Daniel Wilson.

Transforming the way we learn When we cast our minds back, most of us can remember our favourite class, subject and teacher.

We can remember the art on the classroon walls, or the way it felt to run across the freshly cut grass.

The impact our education makes on us is defining; it stays with us for the rest of our lives as an important part of our identity.

Few would know this better than Canon Education Specialist, Ben Rann, who has dedicated his working life to enhancing education the world over, from Cambodia to the United Arab Emirates.

His remarkable experience as an administrator and teacher led him back to New Zealand where today he shares his excitement about ‘Cisco Spark Board,’ a true industry game changer for businesses and educators.

A touch based conferencing device that combines wireless presentation, digital whiteboarding, and video conferencing all in one the innovation is one of the many benefits of Canon’s position as Cisco NZ’s leading advanced video technology partner.

need to leave early for different reasons, from dismissing students at the end of the school day, to running clubs, or meeting with parents.

“Endless clashes of timetables meant that getting everyone in the right place, at the right time, was a logistical nightmare.

“Although unpopular, we would often have to set Head of Department meetings on a Friday morning (which was the first day of the weekend in the Middle East), to make key decisions regarding the management of the 1,000 + children in the secondary section.

“Having a tool such as the Cisco Spark Board would have reduced the requirement of physical attendance and allowed the collaboration of ideas to take place in a virtual space. I’m sure this would have been a much more popular option giving personal time back to staff.”

As a former teacher, Ben says he can also fully appreciate the challenges associated with providing education to students who were absent for an extended period of time.

lessons on a daily basis for the better part of a month. Despite all of this, the work was often not understood by Rashid as he hadn’t been present during teaching and therefore couldn’t raise issues at the time.

“I wish that I could have had Rashid log into my lessons from his bedroom and partake in the realtime classroom lesson which is something that is possible with the Cisco Spark Board. I am sure if he could have been part of this process he would have understood the material more clearly from being able to listen into other students’ questions and comments.”

This level of connectivity and uninhibited access is something that Ben says is providing students with an even greater platform to collaborate and share ideas as global citizens.

“When I first began teaching in Iceland I started a reciprocal pen pal program with my old school at Long Bay College.

It was a fantastic way to get Icelandic students writing in English and developing a greater appreciation of why learning English was an important tool for them in a rapidly globalising world.

“I remember a student, Rashid in year 11, who was involved in a motorcycle accident within the first week of term.

“Nowadays that same connectedness is possible through video conferencing in

Of the technology’s ability to rise to challenges that many educators can relate to, Ben comments, “One of the issues I always had as an administrator was getting key staff to be available at the same time to make decisions.

“I had only briefly met Rashid as it was a new class and I was unsure of his ability in the subject. With Rashid living over 40 minutes’ drive from school, the commute alone and added effort for him moving from class to class was not practical.

For more information about how Canon can help you educate and nurture the next generation of global citizens visit www.canon.co.nz/business/cisco-spark.

“At every proposed meeting, it always seemed as if a number of staff would

“I provided Rashid’s younger sister with cover notes and explanations of my

www.canon.co.nz

Learning Space | Classroom Acoustics

Protecting young children from harmful noise Continued exposure to sound levels of 85dB (decibels) and above could cause permanent hearing loss. Children with hearing loss – even a small loss – may lead to problems at school and in social situations.

The Safe Sound Indicator (SSI) was designed by The National Foundation for the Deaf (NFD) to protect preschoolers from noise-induced hearing loss and educate children, teachers and parents about noise.

What is it?

The Safe Sound Indicator is a great educational tool conceived by Jamie Fenton, Young New Zealander of the Year in 2011, to help children learn about noise and to help them self regulate their noise levels. Children and adults can tell at a glance when the noise level is reaching ‘red light’ danger.

How does it work?

Using a traffic light system to show dangerous noise levels, it registers the approximate sound levels of noises around it. Green = 80dB, Amber 85dB, Red = 90dB. Why do you want one?

Prolonged exposure to sound levels 85dB and above may cause hearing damage, and this is what the SSI can help prevent. Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) is recognised as a

significant cause of hearing disability in children and adults (staff and parents).

Where should you put it?

Sound reduces with distance, so it is the people closest to the noise that are most at risk. By putting it in the room or area that can be the noisiest (e.g. at mat time or when using the carpentry table), you can help protect everyone's ears.

Noise hurts The Foundation’s 2009 survey of 65 early childhood centres showed that 20 percent of children and over 30 percent of teachers were distressed by continuous loud noise. Some children reacted by holding their hands over their ears or crying.

Facts about noise-induced hearing loss

The Safe Sound Indicator can be purchased from The National Foundation for the Deaf for $292.50.

• Even brief exposure to sounds over 85dB may cause temporary hearing loss

The National Foundation for the Deaf Inc Level 2, 11 York Street Parnell Auckland E enquiries@nfd.org.nz www.nfd.org.nz

• Prolonged exposure to sound levels of 85dB and above can lead to permanent hearing loss

often, we don’t know it’s happened until it’s too late

• Many young New Zealanders have already experienced • The louder the noise, the less time symptoms of hearing damage you can listen to it before your after listening to loud music. hearing is permanently damaged These might include dullness of • Hearing loss through over-exposure hearing and ringing in the ears (tinnitus). to harmful noise develops slowly;

Hearing problems can have a big impact on a child’s future happiness and success.

What do I need to do if I think a child has a hearing loss?

DISCUSS WITH THE PARENTS OR CAREGIVERS IMMEDIATELY:

1

They need to take their child to see their family doctor or nurse straight away.

2

Make sure they tell the doctor or nurse what they have noticed and why they are worried.

3

If their child does have a hearing problem the doctor may refer them to a health professional called an audiologist. An audiologist is trained to diagnose hearing problems.

4

Act quickly, it will be better for the parents and the child.

These referrals are usually free for New Zealand citizens and residents.

MORE INFORMATION AND SUPPORT:

The National Foundation for the Deaf 20 | Term 2, 2018 www.principalstoday.co.nz

The Safe Sound Indicator

enquiries@nfd.org.nz P 09 307 2922 www.nfd.org.nz

Potter Interior Systems Smart solutions for any school Potter Interior Systems are known nationwide for manufacturing high quality whiteboards that are supplied into both the education and corporate markets.

However, there’s a lot more to this business than meets the eye, including size and history.

Business development manager, Rachael Marsh says Potters has been supplying the New Zealand market for 50 years and in recent years has been owned by the large Australasian firm, CSR Building Products.

In New Zealand, CSR own companies such as Monier Roofing, Viridian Glass, NZ Brick Distributors and Bradford Gold Insulation.

“In other words we are not fly-by-nighters,” says Rachael. “We are part of a much larger business, and have an excellent reputation to uphold and maintain, with customers at the forefront of our thinking.”

Potters primarily supplies the interior fitout market and has maintained a manufacturing arm for a couple of decades.

“We make all types and sizes of whiteboards and pinboards for schools and businesses and have expanded our offering over the years.

“Many other whiteboard suppliers are importing boards that are a fixed size.

“Our uniqueness is our ability to supply what people really want. We make a very solid product, a very good quality product. What makes us different is Potters supplies larger whiteboards into the market. We specialise in problem solving and providing unique, imaginative solutions.

“We recently installed whiteboards into Kings Prep School that were required to be larger than normal, fixed directly to the wall and a good pairing with modern technology.

“We worked with the architect and building contractor to deliver a bespoke board. We are specified into the new Auckland University Engineering building, and recently have been working with Epson to provide a larger

whiteboard with the best surface for use with short throw interactive projectors.”

This new Potters board means no need for a projector screen. In addition to whiteboards and pinboards, Potters also supply a range of acoustic wall coverings and other acoustic solutions to schools and businesses.

Rachael says she loves to help schools create original spaces and imaginatively use products like Autex Composition.

“For little added cost you can personalise the product by incorporating your school logo, plus get the double use as a pinboard.”

Schools would typically install a standard framed board, but Potters can provide this, as well as other options.

Potters also provide an installation service for all the products they can make and supply. “We have years of experience giving advice and installing products, some of which are rather unusual like counter weighted boards.”

Rachael will visit, quote what you need, and work through the issues are specific to your site and environment.

Potter Interior Systems 393 Church Street, Penrose PO Box 13 451, Onehunga Auckland 1643 0800 768 837 info@potters.co.nz www.potters.co.nz

www.potters.co.nz

Unity or Z mobile unit This unique mobile design has been developed to make a robust and rattle free unit, at the same time personalised in a colour of their choice.

Testimonial “Last year we started talking to Potters about what we could do to improve the function and look of some of our classrooms which were in need of refurbishment.

“Potters were very solutions focused and happy to help us get as much done as possible on our limited budget.

“Autex wall coverings were our preferred option as this was already up in newer areas of the school. We worked collaboratively to plan and complete the work over the busy school holiday period. We now have bright new acoustically sound walls. “

A school logo has been added to this refreshed school reception, adding vibrancy and reinforcing the school's brand.

- Lucy Naylor, Principal, Stanley Bay School, Auckland.

INN OVATIVE LEA RNING SURFAC E S PREMIUM WHI TEB OA RDS (PORC ELAIN ON STEEL) QUA LI T Y PINB OARDS (FRAMED OR EDGE WRAPPED) WHI TEB OA RD CABINE TS + TABLE S C OMBINATI ON WHI TEB OARD + PINB OARD

This installation is of both a unique whiteboard designed by Potters and acoustic wall linings with water cut numbers.

V I SION PRESENTATION PRODUCTS

MOBILE/RELOCATABLE B OA RDS LASER E TC HED PLA NNER S AC OUSTIC WA LL C OVERINGS + SOLUTI ON S C USTOM SI ZE S + DE SIGN S

0800 POTTERS

Learning Space | Healthy Schools

Five fun themes for your canteen With a little creativity, theme days can be a fun and cost-effective way to encourage healthy foods.

• Watermelon & cucumber salad • Chicken and apple meatballs • Roast carrot dip and spinach wrap.

Changing up the regular menu will generate excitement among students and keep them interested in what’s on offer.

Canteen theme days provide a way of celebrating special occasions, trialling different foods and promoting new menu items. It’s also an opportunity to seek valuable feedback from your customers.

Coming up with a theme idea is the easy part, but how can you help ensure the day is successful?

• Plan well in advance and promote widely • Consider the aim of the promotion – is it to trial a new product, encourage vegetables and fruit or to increase menu variety?

• Be sure to order enough food to prevent selling out. Pre-orders can help with forecasting numbers • Get the students involved during the planning and implementation.

Find out what themes or popular foods will interest them. There may be opportunities for art or design students to help develop advertising material or decorations

• Decorate the canteen or dress up to create a buzz.

A taste of India An opportunity to introduce vegetarian protein sources into your menu like chickpeas or other legumes. This theme works well for terms 2 or 3 to keep warm on a winter’s day.

So what healthy, yet tasty foods can you provide that still make a profit?

Here are five ideas - but the possibilities are endless and it pays to be imaginative! Visit the Fuelled4life website to find all these recipes and many more.

Winter soup day A mug of soup is the perfect way to warm up during the cooler months. It’s also a great way to include vegetables on your menu. Mix up the flavours on a regular basis so your customers don’t get bored.

• Creamy vegetable soup • Lentil soup (lentils are a cost-effective, protein-rich ingredient. A great addition to vegetarian soups).

• Chicken and corn soup.

Chinese New Year Chinese New Year is an important Chinese festival surrounded by festivity.

Why not join in the fun by adding a healthy twist to these traditional Asian recipes?

• Butter(less) chicken • Dhal

• Dumplings

• Mild lamb curry.

• Coriander wraps • Veggie noodle stir-fry.

Heart Day Heart Day is part of the Heart Foundation’s Annual Appeal, held in February each year. Use red, hearthealthy foods to create awareness and highlight the importance of a healthy heart.

• Fresh tomato and capsicum pasta sauce (serve with wholemeal pasta and vegetables) • Berry-licious smoothie • Beetroot and feta summer salad.

Vegetable/fruit of the week Find exciting ways to promote a different vegetable or fruit each week based on what’s in season.

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

If you are a teacher, principal, canteen manager, caterer or cook and would like to see your school offering healthier food and beverages, sign up to Fuelled4life for many free resources to help you choose healthier options.

You’ll also get free access to the Fuelled4life website and newsletter with tips, recipes, special deals and information on ways to improve nutrition in your school.

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

Healthy lunches made easy Healthy school lunches, delivered to the school – and yet ordered and paid for by the parents online! For hundreds of schools around New Zealand, this is their experience of Lunchonline – the web-based lunch ordering system started in 2010.

High profile food providers such as Subway, Pita Pit, Jesters and Hell Pizza, as well as local bakeries, sushi and individual caterers list their products on the website, from which families make their orders.

Each Lunchonline registered school chooses which local food providers they wish to use, so lunches are made locally and are always fresh.

Schools love Lunchonline because families pay for the lunches through the website. There is no cash handling or orders to coordinate in the school office.

The food providers bring the lunches labeled with the child’s name, room number and what was ordered. There is also a report so that the school can check that all the lunches have been delivered. This is a great time saver for schools with a reduction in school administration.

Recent changes in the rules around the preparation of food for sale has meant that many PTAs, canteens and tuckshops are no longer offering school lunches. Lunchonline has been a great replacement with the added benefit that a small commission on the provider’s price for each lunch means the school can also use Lunchonline as a fundraiser.

Schools have a lot of choice over the selection of providers, the day(s) that they want lunches available and what food is coming into the schools.

When schools sign up with Lunchonline, they often have a provider in mind - a local bakery or sushi shop for example. Lunchonline then liaises with the provider, ensures food safety rules are complied with, and loads the menu. The school checks the menu and once approved, the menu is uploaded.

Most schools leave menu choices up to the parents. A number of schools don’t allow drinks, but some allow a few juices. Some allow pies and treats only on Fridays.

“The school doesn’t have to do anything at all.

The food provider delivers the lunches to the

Ph: 0800 565 565 | www.lunchonline.co.nz | Email: info@lunchonline.co.nz 22 | Term 2, 2018 www.principalstoday.co.nz

school and we suggest classroom monitors are assigned to manage distribution. There just needs to be a point of contact if for example a lunch is missing,” says Paula Sugden, Account Manager at Lunchonline.

Healthy does not mean expensive and Lunchonline lunches are in line with retail prices for delivered food.

If your school is having trouble finding volunteers or offering a good range of healthy and sometimes treat options, then Lunchonline could be the solution you need.

To register with Lunchonline or to simply find out more, email Paula Sugden at: paula@lunchonline.co.nz.

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

CAREERS

The new government plans to see a billion trees planted in the next ten years – double our present forest planting rate.

There are dedicated facilities to supply this workforce: • The University of Canterbury’s School of Forestry – Degree through to PhD in forestry and forest engineering.

• Toi Ohomai in Rotorua – NZ Certificates in forest management and operations, as well as a Diploma in forest management.

• NorthTec in Whangarei – NZ Certificates in forest skills and harvesting.

• EIT in Gisborne – NZ Certificates in forest harvesting and operations.

Four of the entryways for the whole lot of people we urgently need to fill the ranks of foresters, engineers, scientists, drivers, processors and managers who keep our six-billion-dollar export industry growing.