School News NZ - Term 4 - 2014

Issue 27 | Term 4 - 2014 | $12 Inc GST

The Essential Management Guide for Education Industry Professionals

www.schoolnews.co.nz

Sir John Kirwan Standing by troubled teens

Hearing Impaired Hearing clearly crucial for students in the classroom

Principal Speaks

Rongotai College – a journey of improvement Photo: Alistair Guthrie

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contents ISSN 1178-9964

sn inside

Issue 27 | Term 4 - 2014 | $12 Inc GST

The Essential Management Guide for Education Industry Professionals

SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES $42 for 12 Months $72 for 24 Months Phone (03) 365 5575 subscriptions@schoolnews.co.nz www.schoolnews.co.nz ADVERTISING Pip Casey (03) 974 1037 p.casey@schoolnews.co.nz EDITORIAL Christine de Felice editorial@schoolnews.co.nz PRODUCTION Richard McGill r.mcgill@schoolnews.co.nz CONTRIBUTORS Kevin Carter, Christine de Felice, Paul Frampton, Malcolm Hubbert, Stephen Porter, Marci Powell and Ian Vickers.

School News is distributed quarterly to all primary, intermediate and secondary schools nationwide and selected tertiary education providers by Multimedia Publishing, publishers of leading industry and consumer titles.

Views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or Multimedia Publishing Limited.

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information in Schoolnews, however the information contained in Schoolnews is intended to act as a guide only.

The publisher, authors and editors expressly disclaim all liability for the results of action taken or not taken on the basis of information contained herein.

We recommend professional advice is sought before making important business decisions Š 2014. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

School News is proudly published by:

Teenage suicide is a devastating and traumatic event no family ever wants to deal with.

Sadly, in New Zealand, many have to. In our Special Report this issue we talk to Sir John Kirwan, who has written a book aimed at helping young people and their families overcome the anxiety and distress often associated with the teenage years. He says the issue of suicide needs to be out in the open, and he is visiting schools with the strong message that it is not an option.

We profile a North Island primary school, Hautapu, where they have transformed two existing classrooms into a 21st-century Modern Learning Environment.

Technology is bringing the school library into this environment, too.

We look at several options schools have for streamlining every aspect of school library management and how these digital tools can take teaching and learning in new and innovative directions.

We look at the equipment that’s available for school labs where our future scientists will start their journey of discovery.

20 news 05 Ministry News 06 News in Brief

education 14 Principal Speaks: Rongotai College – a journey of

PO Box 5104, Papanui Christchurch, 8543, New Zealand Phone: (03) 365 5575 Fax: (03) 365 1655 Email: mail@multimediapublishing.co.nz www.multimediapublishing.co.nz

improvement

16 Special Report: John Kirwan - standing by troubled teens

20 Hearing Impaired: Hearing clearly crucial for students in the classroom

22 TV Broadcasting: Developing skills and creativity in the SCHOOLNEWS WELCOMES EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND IMAGES ON RELEVANT TOPICS FOR FEATURES, NEW PRODUCT PROFILES AND NEWS ITEMS. Please email to editorial@ schoolnews.co.nz. Images should be in high resolution (300dpi) JPEG or TIFF format. Editorial queries should be directed to the editorial department on (03) 365 5575.

04

school news

Term 4 - 2014

Sir John Kirwan Standing by troubled teens

Hearing Impaired Hearing clearly crucial for students in the classroom

For children to learn, they first need to hear what the teacher is saying. We look at ways to ensure this happens, both for children with normal hearing and those with hearing difficulties.

Increasing students’ skills in maths and science is seen as vital for their employment prospects and New Zealand’s economic future.

TV studio

profiles 24 Hautapu School: Old to new - An innovative approach to MLE

administration 27 School Uniforms: Uniforms promote pride in the school

28 School Uniforms: Sports uniforms – Getting it right 30 Library Management Systems: Managing the school library in a modern education environment

www.schoolnews.co.nz

Principal Speaks

Rongotai College – a journey of improvement Photo: Alistair Guthrie

Essential Reading for Principals • Department Heads • Property Managers • Professionals

ĂŒÂ˝ĂƒĂŠÂ˜ÂœĂŒĂŠĂŒÂœÂœĂŠÂ?>ĂŒiĂŠĂŒÂœĂŠ}iĂŒĂŠ ĂžÂœĂ•Ă€ĂŠĂŒĂ•VÂŽĂŠĂƒÂ…ÂœÂŤĂŠĂƒÂœĂ€ĂŒi`ĂŠ vÂœĂ€ĂŠĂ“Ă¤ÂŁxt

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Issue 27 | Term 4 - 2014 Cover photo: Alistair Guthrie This is the final issue of School News for 2014. We wish all our readers an enjoyable holiday and look forward to bringing you plenty more on school education in New Zealand in 2015.

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44

teaching resources 34 Science Learning & Equipment: Boosting science skills with well-equipped labs

38 Book Reviews: New books on the block 35 Video Collaboration: The delivery of borderless education

food & beverage 40 Supplier Profile – Up&Go Vending Partnership Programme: Celebrating Success: Bodies not working – brains not working!

sports & recreation 42 Gym Equipment: Resistance training for school students

health & safety 44 Blood Drive: Blood drive the focus for social studies students

44 Teacher Wellbeing: Is it time to get creative about teacher wellbeing?

property 46 Grounds Maintenance: Ride-on mowers designed to meet school requirements

Ministry News

news

Teachers celebrated across New Zealand 1000th school connects to fast internet

Marking New Zealand Teachers’ Day last month, Education Minister Hekia Parata acknowledged the enormous contribution teachers across the country are making every day to ensure all children are successful in education.

The 1000th school was connected to the Government’s Managed Network in October, ahead of the December target.

Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye visited the school, Stanley Avenue School in the Waikato town of Te Aroha, to mark the connection, which brought to 40 per cent the number of New Zealand schools now connected to the Managed Network.

Ms Parata said New Zealand Teachers’ Day, October 29, was an opportunity to thank teachers for the work they do to raise the educational achievement of students.

“Teachers do an incredible job helping our children and young people to be the very best they can be in life – it’s important to celebrate the magic that they create across our country every day.

“Improved teaching practice is continuing to help kids do much better, and we are seeing that through better outcomes in national standards and NCEA achievement.”

Ms Parata said parents and communities consistently backed their teachers and school leaders because they know the difference they can make.

“The Government is also backing teachers through our $359 million investment that will keep the best teachers teaching, encourage collaboration between schools and strengthen school leadership.

“We all have stories about teachers who’ve made an incredible difference and those stories can be shared on the inspiredbyU.org.nz website.”

Ms Parata said teachers were also recognised through the Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards, which celebrate excellence in teaching, leadership, community engagement and governance.

2015 PM’s Education Excellence Awards launched The 2015 Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards were launched last month by Education Minister Hekia Parata.

Education Minister Hekia Parata

Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye

Ms Parata said the awards recognised and celebrated excellence in teaching, leadership, community engagement and governance.

• Excellence in teaching and learning – lifting achievement, engagement, retention and attendance of young New Zealanders.

“Having schools connected to the Managed Network is part of our commitment to ensuring our young people are equipped with the skills and education they need to be successful in employment and in life, no matter where they are in New Zealand,” Ms Kaye said.

“The inaugural awards were held this year and were a great celebration of work being done across our education system.

• Excellence in engaging – working with parents and communities to transform relationships and involvement.

“Providing high-quality, high-speed internet will help ensure that every student can benefit from technology to achieve their best.”

“They give us an opportunity to acknowledge some remarkable people and the work being done to deliver better educational outcomes for our children and young people.

The winning entry of each category will receive $20,000 and professional development opportunities. Category winners will be eligible for the Prime Minister’s Supreme Award, which will go to the partnership or group that has had the most impact on raising student achievement.

Winners of the Supreme Award receive an additional $30,000.

“Quality teaching and strong leadership are crucial to raising student achievement and strong involvement from parents and high community expectations also make the difference outside of schools and early childhood services.”

The awards cover early childhood education, primary and secondary schooling, and communities of learning made up of all three.

They focus on collaboration and collective effort and are open to groups and partnerships.

The four main categories are:

A further prize is awarded each year focusing on a different part of the education system.

The 2015 Education Focus Prize will be for demonstrated collaboration that develops communities of learning from early childhood through to senior schooling.

• Excellence in governing – providing vision, innovation and creativity to inspire teaching and learning that lifts achievement.

Entries have now opened and will close on March 20, 2015.

Entry forms and information are available at www.pmawards. education.govt.nz

• Excellence in leading – leading peers or colleagues to challenge and lift achievement.

Finalists will be announced in May 2015 and a national awards ceremony will be held in June.

The Government is investing $211 million in the Managed Network, which will provide quick and reliable internet complete with uncapped data, web filtering and network security services for all New Zealand schools wishing to participate.

“More than 290,000 students and 20,000 teachers are now using a Government-funded internet connection running at reliably high speeds,” Ms Kaye said.

“Meeting the needs of 21stcentury students is a priority for this Government. Ensuring our children are learning in modern and digitally connected classrooms is critical in enabling schools to explore more innovative approaches to teaching and learning, using the internet and digital technologies.”

N4L is on track to connect all participating schools to the Managed Network by the end of 2016.

Term 4 - 2014

school news

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News in Brief

news

New Zealand needs to invest in school leaders The education sector needs to recognise the crucial role that leadership plays in raising student achievement in schools and better equip principals for the job, according to a new report by the New Zealand Education and Scholarship Trust and The New Zealand Initiative.

The report underscores the importance of leadership in New Zealand’s decentralised education system, where schools are largely self-managing. Principals are responsible not just for maintaining high teaching standards but also for overseeing administrative tasks, finances, and human resources, as well as providing the vision and direction for the school.

teachers for student achievements, and just last week we published a report on a promising school cluster model to promote education excellence.

“But to make any of these initiatives work, school leaders are crucial.

There is a key to education success: Great leaders make great schools; great schools have great teachers; and great teachers develop great kids,” Dr Hartwich says.

The report is available for download from the Initiative website.

Tauranga teen this year’s ‘Bright Spark’

John Morris, author of The School Leadership Effect, argues that the significance of school leaders is not universally recognised in New Zealand.

“Education systems around the world are looking to develop aspiring school leaders and providing support and professional development for those already in the role,” he said. “It is time New Zealand followed suit.”

The report examines a crosssection of the literature on school leadership, and discusses the nature of school leaders’ dispositions, strategies and practices that influence student achievement.

Contemporary models of school leadership are also outlined in the study with particular discussion on the most recent research that incorporates an expanded understanding of leadership: “Even the strongest proponents of instructional, transformative, distributed and sustainable leadership are moving away from the exclusivity of the one-size-fitsall, charismatic, heroic model of leadership,” Mr Morris said.

Executive director of The New Zealand Initiative, Dr Oliver Hartwich, said: “New Zealand’s children deserve the best education in the world. Our previous research highlighted the importance of

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Callum Riddington's invention, Kiwi Drones hardware and software. “Callum's entry was incredibly sophisticated.

He continued to refine it and his attention to detail was very impressive,” Mr Petersen said.

“This fully functional project was created by a young inventor who strives for excellence in every direction.”

Callum Riddington Callum Riddington of Otemotai College in Tauranga has won the Baldwins supreme award at Bright Sparks 2014 for his invention, Kiwi Drones.

Kiwi Drones is a control system for a working drone. It includes GPS mission plotting, stability control and a super-friendly user interface. Callum designed it all from scratch. The 17-year-old student also hacked the code in an X-Box controller to use in Kiwi Drones, after deciding it was a more familiar, user-friendly device. His inspiration came from a dissatisfaction with current drone control systems.

“I tried out existing flight controllers and discovered they were expensive and bulky. I didn't like the functionality, so I created my own," he said.

Bright Sparks manager Ross Petersen said Callum’s invention stood out due to a high degree of complexity and its integration of

Callum says he often meets up with his mates to fly his drones and is always looking for ways to improve the technology. He was presented with the Bright Sparks 2014 Baldwins Supreme Award at a ceremony in Auckland on October 30, hosted by Michelle Dickinson and attended by educators and industry representatives. He received a mentoring package from Baldwins as part of his prize.

Report shows digital tech boosts achievement The latest report by the 20/20 Communications Trust shows that digital devices in classrooms are having a positive impact on student achievement, even if schools are struggling to keep up with the disruptive change they create.

The report, Digital Technologies in New Zealand Schools, shows that over 75 per cent of schools have noticed an impact on student achievement from using digital technologies. Most schools (75 per cent) already include, or plan to include, digital devices as part of their ICT strategy.

Chair of the Innovation Partnership Murray Sherwin says the report shows the pervasive and positive

impact that digitally blended education is beginning to have on all New Zealand students.

“The internet is revolutionising our capacity to access and employ information. It is also opening new approaches to teaching and learning. These new approaches are now demonstrating how they can substantially lift educational achievement, particularly for our most disadvantaged children,” Mr Sherwin says.

“We know that basic connectivity is essential in the modern educational environment. The ambition that every student and pupil should be ‘digitally enabled’ for their education has moved from the desirable to the essential.”

However, the report highlighted that teachers still weren’t integrating the internet and de vices into classrooms, and that teachers often lacked the skills or confidence to use devices effectively.

“It isn’t devices or connectivity that are transforming education, but the innovative approaches to teaching which they make possible. New and existing teachers need access to the professional development opportunities that enable them to fully exploit the new pedagogical methods becoming available in digitally enabled classrooms,” Mr Sherwin says.

“The education sector is working hard to raise educational achievement, and the Innovation Partnership is proud to be among the organisations working hard to help them.”

news News in Brief More than 40 per cent of senior students at the school take chemistry, with a similar number going on to study science-related subjects at tertiary level.

Mr Torrie says he will put the $5000 prize money towards attending the next International Conference on Chemical Education in Sydney.

ASG NEiTA was established by ASG Education Programmes in New Zealand 18 years ago to promote excellence in teaching.

St Cuthbert’s College head of chemistry Ian Torrie with two of his students.

Chemistry teacher wins ASG national award St Cuthbert’s College head of chemistry Ian Torrie has received an ASG National Excellence in Teaching Awards (NEiTA), making him one of New Zealand’s top educators.

Mr Torrie is one of five teachers to receive the prestigious ASG teaching award across early childhood, primary, intermediate and secondary schools from more than 600 nominations. ASG NEiTA chief executive officer, John Velegrinis, says Mr Torrie is an outstanding educator.

“Mr Torrie has proven himself to be a teacher of the highest

calibre. It is very heartening to meet a teaching professional so committed to bringing out the best in our students and his record of achievement is outstanding”.

ASG NEiTA recipients go through a rigorous selection process to reach the national awards. They are first nominated by a parent, board member, trustee, parent or community organisation, which is then followed by the teacher submitting a comprehensive selfportrait and teaching background.

From the 600 nominations, regional recipients are selected who then give a five-minute oral presentation to the judging panel and submit a paper on a topic of their interest to be considered for a national

award in the Excellence in Teaching and Leadership categories.ASG NEiTA chairman Allen Blewitt says Mr Torrie is making a substantial and positive impact in secondary education.

“Mr Torrie’s paper titled Improving the Quality of Chemistry Teaching

by Personalising Learning was comprehensive, thoroughly researched and highly relevant in content.

They are open to all qualified and registered full-time teachers and school leaders in primary, intermediate and secondary schools, and to qualified and registered early childhood educators. Since 1996, more than $185,000 has been distributed to ASG NEiTA recipients in grants for professional development, prizes and endowments. In addition to the five ASG recipients, another five teachers will be presented with Excellence in Leadership awards by The Cognition Education Trust.

“His knowledge, passion and contribution is deeply appreciated and valued by the community.”

The NEiTA awards are jointly sponsored by ASG Education Programs New Zealand, which assists parents to plan for their children’s future education, and Cognition Education, a leading independent educational services company whose mission is to enhance lives through education.

Mr Torrie has presided over an uplift in the number of students taking chemistry at all-girls school, St Cuthbert’s College.

Applications for ASG NEiTA open in April 2015. Go to www.asg.co.nz for more information on entering the awards.

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school news

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News in Brief

news Award for popular children’s author

Academic Adviser for the new West Auckland school and founder of Villa Education Trust Alwyn Poole says it will offer quality educational opportunities for boys and girls.

New Zealand children's author Jack Lasenby has been awarded a 2014 Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement for Fiction.

The awards recognise authors that have made a significant contribution to the literary arts and they are awarded a prize of $60,000 in recognition of their outstanding input to literature. Born in 1931 in Waharoa in the Waikato, Jack Lasenby is widely acknowledged as one of New Zealand’s finest writers for children. He was a teacher, editor of the School Journal, and an English lecturer at Wellington Teacher's College until he left to write for children in 1987. He is the author of over 30 books for children, which include the Aunt Effie series, the Uncle Trev titles, The Sedden Street Gang trilogy, The Travellers quartet and the Harry Wakatipu books. He has been the recipient many times of the most highly regarded children's book awards: the Esther Glen Medal, the Aim Children's Book Award, and the New Zealand Post Children's Book Award. The awards were presented

Jack Lasenby Photo: Mark Tantrum

by Maggie Barry, Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage at a ceremony held at Premier House, Wellington, on October 23.

The Prime Minister’s Awards for Literary Achievement were established in 2003. A full list of previous recipients can be found on the Creative New Zealand website.

New location for partnership school announced Villa Education Trust has announced the location for the new partnership school opening in West Auckland in February 2015. Middle School West Auckland will be situated at 4341 Great North Road, Glendene. The school will open on February 3, with capacity for 240 students across Years 7-10.

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“Villa Education Trust established one of the first partnership schools, South Auckland Middle School, in 2014. The Education Review Office has just published a very positive report on the school, and there is huge demand for places in 2015,” Mr Poole says.

“There are a number of things we do differently that parents want, and that we believe children need. Firstly, we offer small class sizes. Middle School West Auckland will have a student:teacher ratio of 15:1.

“We also offer a unique day structure, where the morning is dedicated to academic work, and the afternoon to education outside the classroom - including physical education, community service, music and arts. We find this approach helps students to focus and produce their best.

“Our learning programmes integrate with the NZ Curriculum but a key difference is that there is a big focus on projects. Students find this project experience is challenging, but it builds a range of abilities and makes a massive difference in their academic performance from Year 11 and on into the future.”

Mr Poole says a number of key staff have been recruited for the new school, including community liaison manager Filipo Levi.

“We're about to customise the facility and be ready for open days for the community in November.”

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school news

Term 4 - 2014

The 2014 ULearn conference organised by CORE Education was a huge success with the event being sold out two weeks prior to the opening and 2000 delegates attending.

“There was a lot of interest this year,” marketing manager Meredith Noonan says.

“The quality of the speakers was again very high, which would have been a drawcard, but ‘word of mouth’ was getting it out there as well.”

Held in Rotorua from October 7-10, this was the 16th year for the ULearn conference, an event that gives educators the chance to find out about the latest developments in pedagogy, curriculum and practice. It included keynote and spotlight speakers from across the education and technology sectors, both from New Zealand and overseas, as well as workshops and breakout sessions. Some of those who attended have left comments about why they enjoyed the conference on the CORE website. They include: “I left ULearn14 feeling inspired and motivated to make change happen.

Everything that I heard and saw confirmed that I am still passionate about what I do. I now feel excited and ready to begin a journey that uses the skills and knowledge that I have acquired.” - Megan Greer, Balmacewen Intermediate “The sense of friendliness, collegiality and the opportunity for networking, both face-to-face and online. The high-quality breakouts.”

- Neil Anderson, Levin North School “A great variety of breakouts and workshops available, it was a fantastic opportunity to share ideas, collaborate and reassure yourself that actually you are doing a good job back in your own classroom!” – Nic, Devonport Primary School

Register online

on 021 930 367 to find out more

ULearn conference a success

Filipo Levi

Established in 2003, CORE Education pushes the boundaries of educational possibilities by inspiring learners and communities to achieve self-determination, putting learners at the centre of their practice and ensuring worldleading research, evidence and experience informs all of their work.

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News in Brief

news

08 The organisation’s extensive range of professional learning and consultancy services are designed to meet the needs of individual staff and whole schools. They range from one-hour breakfast seminars and half-day workshops, to 20-week, in-depth online courses, events and consultancy.

In 2015, CORE will launch EdVenture comprising customised, one-day PLD events in community areas. Visit their website www. core-ed.org for more details.

Anyone wanting to attend the 2015 ULearn conference is also invited to register their interest on the website.

Wellington boards of trustees oppose charter schools Based on a recent survey of their member schools, boards of trustees in the greater Wellington region are adamantly opposed to the National and Act parties’ agreement to publically fund charter schools, chairperson of the Wellington Wairarapa School Trustees Association (WWSTA) Chris Toa says.

“All schools were deeply disturbed about the disparity in funding,” he says.

State schools average $7000 pa per child, compared to recent figures showing the average student in a charter school receives funding of nearly $21,000 pa, and in the case of one charter school, $38,000. For the five schools operating this year that equates to $7million, he says.

There are 358 students enrolled in these schools – a similar size to an average Wellington primary school.

Another four schools have been approved to open in 2015.

“With this potentially spiralling every year, boards were understandably worried about how that will eat into state school funding, which many find inadequate now.

“The lack of accountability was also clearly important to the boards. Schools in the state system report to the Ministry, the local MP, their community and the Education Review Office. They are compared over National Standards and tightly audited – financially

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and academically, and they must comply with the Education Act,” he says.

Mr Toa also notes that while state schools are subject to the Official Information Act, charter schools are not.

Also, state school teachers are fully trained and registered, and support staff are police vetted, whereas charter schools are not obliged to employ registered teachers.

“Boards raised concerns about the potential for physical, emotional and academic harm in that environment and the fact that we, as the public, would have no ability to monitor this as all information pertaining to charter schools is private.”

Mr Toa says some school boards raised the point that there has never been any evidence produced by the Government to support the introduction of charter schools.

A number recognised that ‘one size does not fit all’ in schooling, but there were ample opportunities and flexibility within the current state sector to tailor learning programmes for individual students and provide parents with choice, particularly with stateintegrated schools that offer a school of ‘special character’.

Philosophically, boards also expressed concern over the future of the New Zealand education system with the agenda to privatise education and to remove both parental and community voice within schools, Mr Toa says.

“Representing such a wide range of schools within this region, we have rarely had such a clear and resounding response from our membership on any single issue.

We join with our membership and others in expressing our concern about the damage to the current world-class New Zealand education system that Charter Schools may cause.”

School caretakers share ideas Sixteen participants from around Northland gathered in Kaipara for a special Enviroschools Northland caretaker workshop in late September. The regional council’s chairman Bill Shepherd, who

Tauraroa Area School caretaker Greg Walker with Dargaville Intermediate student Adam McCarroll. opened the event, said the free, day-long workshop at Dargaville Intermediate School investigated ways caretakers could support their school’s Enviroschools journey.

“The workshop is designed to recognise the value of caretakers, the role they play and encourage them to incorporate some of the ideas children attending their schools may have to enhance their school environment.”

Participants from as far afield as Kaeo explored a range of sustainable practices and shared problems and solutions to school property management. There was also a focus on ‘WaiNurseries’, a component of the WaiRestoration project through which schools grow riparian plants.

Guests speakers included CBEC EcoSolutions’ educator Anton Bowker, regional council land management advisor Bruce Griffin, Dargaville Intermediate deputy principal Diane Papworth and caretaker Dennis Hewetson, and Hukerenui caretaker Alister McDermid.

Attendance feedback from the workshop highlighted the value for caretakers in being able to network with their counterparts from other schools, share ideas and hear how others are dealing with similar challenges.

Christchurch students Skype around the world A small Christchurch school is creating big opportunities for its students as it connects online with classes from all around the world.

In the past few weeks classes at Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Whanau Tahi, a Maori language school in Spreydon, have participated in mystery Skype sessions with classes from Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii and California. Mystery Skyping is both exciting and competitive, with students from each class racing to be the first to guess the other’s location.

Students use their detective skills by asking yes/no questions and using atlases to figure out where in the world the other class is.

Principal Melanie Riwai-Couch said the mystery Skype sessions were part of the school’s strategy to become a leader in learning with digital technologies and to expose their students to different cultures from around the world.

“We are lucky to have amazing teachers who have embraced online learning and go the extra mile to make learning exciting for our tamariki,” she said.

Te Whanau Tahi was one of the schools proposed to merge by the Ministry of Education. Since last year time the school roll has grown from 82 students to 120.

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Principal Speaks

education

Rongotai College – a journey of improvement Founded in 1928, Rongotai College is a decile 6 boys school located in the eastern suburbs of Wellington. It is a diverse and multi-cultural school, and I am proud of the ongoing improvement in achievement that has happened over the last decade. Level 1 achievement rates in NCEA have increased from 25 per cent in 2004 to just over 87 per cent in 2013.

I have been asked what I have done to improve achievement so significantly. My answer is always the same - there is no one magic factor or silver bullet giving rise to change. Improvement of course is multi-faceted and takes time.

So, I suggest that a number of factors have acted in concert to produce change, and I would also argue that many of these factors are not necessarily things done or introduced over the past few years, it is just that their impacts have converged in this time frame.

Curriculum review: The first factor in the Rongotai journey relates to what we teach.

The introduction of the New Zealand Curriculum and the realignment of standards for NCEA has encouraged our teachers to review the Rongotai curriculum at all levels. This has allowed us to develop a more relevant, streamlined and coherent curriculum that relates more to the needs of students living in the digital age in 2013, and not the needs of students from the industrial age.

We introduced wi-fi and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) this year and this will further enhance our ability to teach important ‘new’ skills, such as critical thinking and collaboration whilst retaining the important element of learning essential knowledge.

This development was teacherdriven, and we are already seeing the benefits of great student collaboration.

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last year titled The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way, Time magazine journalist Amanda Ripley looks into schooling practices in high-achieving countries. She succinctly states: “Children succeed in classrooms where they are expected to succeed . . .

When teachers demand rigorous work, students often rise to the occasion. Low expectations are often duly rewarded.”

...This sense of engagement with the school was highlighted when we undertook the “Wellbeing at School” survey; 91 per cent of our students stated they felt that they belong at Rongotai College...

Kevin Carter, Principal, Rongotai College

Teacher professional learning: A second reason for this improvement in achievement relates to how we teach.

Our teachers have prioritised improving the achievement of our boys as they look to do things differently.

Over the past 10 years or so, our teachers have readily continued to develop and improve their own teaching practice through their own professional learning and development, thereby modelling to our students the concept of lifelong learning.

Over the past few years, Professional Learning and Development has focused on strands related to our Strategic Plan.

Teachers have self-selected the area they wish to be involved in.

These have included:

• engaging boys in their learning and raising expectations in the classroom • what’s different about boys • cross-curricular teaching of literacy • ensuring students are catered for as individuals • raising achievement of Maori and Pasifika students • developing e-learning capacity of ‘digital immigrant’ teachers • Involvement in Schoolwide Positive Behaviour for Learning, which we believe will add further to our teaching of values in the future.

A culture of high expectations: There has been a significant evolution in school culture – raising our expectations of boys’ achieving. In a book published

Our community and our teachers now expect more of our students, and our students expect more of themselves. We have a generation of Rongotai students expecting to succeed and, significantly, wanting to do even better than they have done before. “Striving for Excellence” is one of the four cornerstone values of the “Rongotai Way” developed as part of PB4L. We celebrate success in the hope all our boys will raise their own aspirations, set their targets a little higher and then follow it up with hard work so that they can become the best that they can be.

Student engagement: Around the world, student engagement – willingness to participate in school activities inside and outside of the classroom – has been highlighted as an indicator of successful schools. Using measures such as attendance rates, participation in co-curricular activities and students having a sense of belonging, I believe our students are clearly engaged with Rongotai College, and this is another factor that allows them to achieve at higher rates.

We have worked hard to improve our attendance rate, which last year was 88 per cent, up from 84 per cent five years ago. Seventy seven per cent of our students engage with Rongotai College by playing sport (up from 59 per cent in 2009), while a significant number of boys are also involved in performing arts or cultural activities, including Kapa Haka and Poly Club.

Principal Speaks

education

This sense of engagement with the school was highlighted when we undertook the “Wellbeing at School” survey; 91 per cent of our students stated they felt that they belong at Rongotai College.

Community involvement: Over a long period of time, our community (parents and whanau, old boys and other friends of the school) has actively engaged in the education of our boys; Rongotai College is truly a ‘community school’. This community includes several strong and active groups – our Board of Trustees, Parents Association, Whanau Support Group and the Asosi (Samoan Parents’ Association) – who all have played a role in improving the achievement and fostering the engagement of our boys.

boys have worked hard to be better than before. The collective gains in achievement we have witnessed have been the collective outcome of the hard work of significant numbers of individual boys. Moreover, our teachers have been challenged to give more, and have responded.

An initiative that highlights this is our Qualifications Attainment Programme, whereby study leave has been changed from a right to a privilege. Teachers work with students at risk of not achieving right through the traditional study leave period to give them a better chance of succeeding.

By Kevin Carter, Principal, Rongotai College Kevin Carter has been Principal at Rongotai College since 2009.

While this is his first Principal position, 2014 marks his 30th year of working in boys’ schools.

Hard work: The last factor is one I have yet to see referred to in any of the educational literature on school improvement, but believe is fundamental to improvement – hard work!

It may sound obvious, but hard work has been a significant contributing factor to the school’s decade of improvement. Our

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education Special Report:

Sir John Kirwan - standing by troubled teens Former All Black, current Blues coach and front man for the depression awareness campaign, Sir John Kirwan has released a new book, Stand By Me, in which he focuses attention on teenage mental health issues. Written in collaboration with clinical psychologists Elliot Bell and Kirsty Louden-Bell, it examines how teenagers can be helped through times of anxiety and distress. School News spoke to Sir John during his recent book tour.

A: No. In my personal journey, I looked for reasons why for three years – it’s an illness not a weakness. That’s what I keep yelling. It’s like any other illness.

Why do people get cancer - who knows? We’re spending millions of dollars trying to find out all this DNA stuff. For me it’s just an illness that can strike. I think there are some tendencies. I was a high achiever.

Q: So is it high-achieving kids?

A: No, it can be a whole lot of things. Problems at home. It’ll be some sort of trigger. You just need to stand by them and dig a wee bit. You just have to ask the questions. I talk about that in the book. Give them a pathway to be able to feel OK about it and understand they’re doing these things because maybe they’re not too well at the moment and they’ve got anxiety around stuff.

Q: So John, what made you decide to write this book?

A: I’m a parent and I’m scared.

When I say that, I just want to be able to identify any mental health issues within my family and my child – parents guide him through that.

There’s some pretty big stats out there. From 13-18 are the risk times for children, when they possibly have their first experience with maybe some mental health issues. If you can jump on it then, you can really guide them to solutions and possibly it’s not an ongoing problem. It can be as young as 11, obviously later, but it seems to be adolescent time. So if we can notice that in our children we can really make a difference moving forward.

That’s what the book was all about – just about the opportunity to look into a whole lot of different situations to see if we can’t intervene and get positive outcomes.

I think the interesting thing talking to you is that teachers probably notice it a lot more than parents a lot of the time. A lot of the stuff written about in the book is about mood changes. Some of the mood changes go with adolescence.

Q: So, how can you tell the difference between normal teenage moodiness and more serious problems?

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Q: Apart from standing by them what other things should you do?

A: You have to keep asking.

Q: How do you get them out of it?

A: The interesting thing about the book – I never know where I’m going with these books and then I start. My idea was to come out with a tool box of A,B,C to help parents and caregivers and teachers. What I did come out with was a very different idea about what needs to be done – hence comes the title, Stand by me.

I think for us as parents and teachers it’s just actually making it OK. Having some understanding around it and realising some of these problems are definitely to do with mental health, depression and stuff like that.

I would also love to change the curriculum in New Zealand and have it as a subject. Mental health needs to be a subject and we need much more learning about it.

We teach them maths, science and English, so we need to be

able to teach them about life’s twists and turns, how to deal with some of the harder times in life.

The other thing that’s really important to address is that suicide is not an option. It seems to be this word no one’s allowed to use. I go into schools and I yell it, and I make them yell it, that suicide is not an option. It’s a long-term solution to a short-term problem.

The other thing I found out with the book is that I don’t know the world our kids are living in – it’s changing, fast moving, and it’s very, very difficult to understand what they’re going through.

Q: Have you observed that it’s certain types of kids, like highachieving kids or kids that are struggling that are more liable to have mental health issues?

A: If you can intervene quickly enough, then you get them help.

Once you learn this illness then there are coping mechanisms you can learn.

There’s a really fantastic chapter about eating disorders where the mother talks about that. You treat the illness. Treatment might be anti-depressants, it might be therapy. The earlier we intervene the less severe it will be. So we teach them how to cope.

The idea of the book is to get it out there, get the intervention so we don’t have some of these more severe cases. So it’s OK. There’s a lot of stigma out there.

Q: Do you think social media has any part to play in this?

A: When I say I don’t know the world they live in, I don’t understand this whole situation.

We don’t understand because society is moving so fast.

education

We can’t do enough studies to keep up with it. It’s certainly changed the way they do things – cyber bullying, access to a whole lot of different stuff. There’s a real issue. But it’s not going to go away, it’s going to morph and change direction.

A school in Wellington and a school in Alexandra and I’ve also been to a school in Feilding last month.

Q: What sort of challenges?

A: Suicides. Two of the schools have had suicides. I met the mother of the young man that committed suicide when I went to the school.

Q: Do you think pressure from parents on their kids to achieve has any part to play?

Q: That must have been tough?

A: There are many and varied triggers that might trip it off. Like I said, it’s an illness. I looked for the triggers for me. Was it because I was famous, young, was it because the phone rang 54 times? In the end it is what it is. Some people might push their two other siblings and they might be fine. The third one might be a little bit different. It might be too much pressure.

A: Yeah. She’s an amazing lady, she has really turned it into a positive - if you can. First thing I said to her was, it’s not your fault.

Q: Is it important for parents to realise that?

You need to be aware of the signs and have the ability to let them communicate back. Make sure it’s OK.

A: Yes. Encourage them to understand themselves more.

Q: Is there a time frame for how long it takes to get well?

Q: Are you going to write any more books?

A: Studies say the quicker you can intervene the quicker things get fixed. Like any other illness, if you make it normal, and there’s no stigma around it, you’ll be pretty good.

A: I don’t know. I didn’t think I was going to write this one.

I’ve heard some amazing stories from young guys who’ve been really messed up but someone managed to get to them. They’re back on track. It’s been an episode in their life that’s a huge learning for them.

Q: Has having the illness and getting through it made you more positive in your life?

A: Yes. I’m incredibly happy. I’m well balanced. I understand my wellness. That’s really important.

Wellness is every day. There are a few rules you can’t break.

Q: What are those?

A: You have to stay well. Search for your wellness. Mine’s reading.

It could be cooking, all sorts of different things.

Q: So for teenagers it’s something for them to focus on?

Q: How long did it take?

A: About a year – I d been thinking about it for a couple of years. It’s the fear with a lot of people with mental issues, the fear of passing it on to kids. Dad passed heart disease on to us. So it’s possibly hereditary, there’s a higher chance.

I also think if I have ability to parent it won’t be an issue. If I had understood anxiety and learnt how to cope with it when I was younger I probably wouldn’t have fallen into depression.

Q: How long did yours last?

A: Part of the journey of the book has been taking a real good look back. I got homesick in Hunua at a school camp.

Q: Isn’t it quite normal for kids to get homesick?

A: But is that the first sign of anxiety? Question mark. I don’t have the answers to that. Possibly could be. If you fell over and hurt yourself on school camp you get

first aid. If you’re homesick, what happens? You’re told to get over it. It’s just those questions. The answer might be yes it might be no. I certainly started having anxiety attacks later on, which led to depression. The two are very closely associated but you can have one without the other.

Q: Once it’s sorted out is it, fixed for life or is it likely to recur?

A: The likelihood of it reappearing depends on you, on your mental health. It’s a wide spectrum that goes from mild depression right through to schizophrenia and bipolar. I was sort of in the middle.

I had medical depression. But I don’t take pills any more. I worked very hard on my wellness and I’m just not scared of it any more.

If it comes back I know how to handle it.

Q: Apart from travelling round talking about the book are you doing anything else? Have you thought about visiting schools?

A: I’ve started going round to schools. I’m an ambassador with Westpac – they’re flying me into regions that have some challenging times. I’ve done two schools this month.

A: It’s an illness that kills. They just call ours suicide. If it was any other illness that killed it would be a sad, sad death. It’s the tragedy that suicide leaves behind, it is devastating, tough. I just front it in schools. I get them yelling, “Suicide is not an option!”.

Q: Do you think that’s helping?

A: I don’t know. But I’m not going to stand by and do nothing. It’s like this word no one uses, they’re not allowed to talk about it.

Q: Isn’t that because of the copycat scenario?

A: Look, I don’t believe that. I believe it’s out there anyway. If you don’t talk about it, what are you going to do, hide it?

Whether you like it or not it’s an issue. We have one of the highest suicide rates in the developed world. Whatever we’ve been doing up till now is not working.

We might as well try something else. I always ask the headmaster if it’s it OK if I front it up. I do a 40-minute presentation all about life, about how great life is.

Q: Do you talk about your rugby career and being an All Black?

A: No, they don’t remember me. They know me as the Blues coach. I’m the depression guy.

By Christine de Felice, Staff Reporter

Term 4 - 2014

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17

Hearing Impaired

education

Hearing clearly crucial for students in the classroom According to the Ministry of Education, most New Zealand children who are deaf or hearing impaired are in regular early childhood education centres and local schools using support services and equipment available.

Figure 1.

School News looks at two organisations offering products to improve auditory conditions in the classroom and enhance students’ learning by enabling them to hear what their teachers say.

FrontRow Good listening conditions are essential to children’s auditory development and general learning.

Research shows that excessive noise levels impair children’s speech perception, reading and spelling ability, behaviour, attention and overall academic performance. Studies have also found classroom noise to be an issue in most New Zealand schools. 1, 2, 3 The average student misses 25 per cent of what is spoken in the classroom.

When you think about class sizes and how noisy classrooms can be, it isn’t that surprising that children are only hearing three quarters of what is being said.4 Noise causes problems for all children. Their brains aren’t fully developed for listening until their teenage years and that means primary school-aged children in particular find it harder to correctly hear their teacher’s voice.

They miss words, phrases and concepts and don’t really understand the words being spoken.

Before the Rotorua Energy Trust installed FrontRow systems in all classrooms in Rotorua, they wanted to ensure they were doing the right thing.

They commissioned Dr Michael

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Heeney to evaluate the benefits and this is what he found.

Test scores you will want to show and tell In NZ Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) children’s percentile rankings are not expected to change from year to year.

Figure 2.

With FrontRow technology the PAT results for listening and reading comprehension, vocabulary and maths for students in the amplified classrooms improved significantly.

Why it works A lot of teaching and instruction

is verbal, so it helps to make sure students understand every word. FrontRow sound systems increase speech clarity and phonemic awareness so they can significantly enhance reading and spelling performance, and maths scores are shown to improve as well.

education Hearing Impaired

Progressive Achievement Test Students made statistically significant improvements in all 10 sub scores of phonological awareness tests. (see Figure 1.)

Phonological Awareness Test Student attention and behaviour (as reported by teachers - see Figure 2.)

• Students and teachers enjoyed the quieter, calmer classroom environment.

• 66 per cent reported lower noise levels.

• 73 per cent reported increased on-task behaviour and the ability to refocus students without disrupting the routine of other children around them.

Photo courtesy of SoundSkills • Around two thirds of teachers reported improved understanding of instructions and student co-operation.

• One third reported reduced disruptive behaviour.

Why it works Listening is hard work, especially for kids, as they lack the vocabulary and brain development of adults. FrontRow makes the teacher’s voice clearer

for all students and helps improve attentiveness, understanding and behaviour.

• Students and teachers enjoyed the quieter, calmer classroom environment.

And there’s more…

Why it works

• 80 per cent of teachers reported reduced vocal strain.

A lot of teachers experience voice strain because of the need to project their voice to the back of the classroom. FrontRow eliminates this added strain.

Most teachers using FrontRow report more energy and greater 20 teaching satisfaction.

• Students reported that teachers’ voices were clearer.

• It was easier to hear even at a distance and when there were competing noises.

WHEN STUDENTS CAN’T HEAR THE TEACHER CLEARLY,

CLASS IS OVER BEFORE IT STARTS Give every child a front row seat to listen and learn Poor classroom acoustics result in high noise levels, increased sick leave for teachers and lack of concentration among children. FrontRow sound fields help improve classroom acoustics, lower noise levels, and enhance student achievement. They reduce teacher vocal fatigue and increase student motivation to listen and learn.

YOUR WORDS ARE IMPORTANT. WE WANT THEM TO BE CLEAR For more information or a FREE no-obligation trial of FrontRow sound fields phone Jo Dunshea, 0800 684 266 or email jd@oticon.co.nz.

www.gofrontrow.co.nz

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Hearing Impaired

education

Photo courtesy of SoundSkills The murmur of a busy classroom may not seem distracting to most of us but to a child with APD it can be overwhelming.

19

Noise is a teacher’s enemy Classroom noise is a major contributor to the incidence of vocal strain, a serious occupational hazard for teachers.

It happens when teachers need to speak for long periods of time with an elevated voice level.

A teacher’s voice is their main teaching tool – used on average over five hours a day!

Students spend at least 45 per cent of their day listening, which means teachers can spend up to the same amount of time speaking. All this activity takes an immense toll on their vocal cords – especially when teachers have to project so everyone can hear.

Why a poor sound environment affects learning 1. Distance: Audibility dramatically decreases as the distance from the speaker increases. Students seated in the front row of a typical classroom receive about 83 per cent of your speech “signal”. That figure drops to 66 per cent in the middle row and just 55 per cent at the back of the class.

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...Students spend at least 45 per cent of their day listening, which means teachers can spend up to the same amount of time speaking. All this activity takes an immense toll on their vocal cords – especially when teachers have to project so everyone can hear...

2. Noise: Noise from chatting classmates, projectors, PCs, air-conditioning, other classes and traffic can all add up to a subtly destructive background level. They all contribute to classroom noise levels that can average as much as 50-65 decibels – about the same as a busy street.

FrontRow Active Learning Systems work by: • Optimising teacher’s voice clarity • Engaging young minds • Inspiring participation and creating a more intimate learning environment

Why FrontRow makes a difference FrontRow has extensive acoustic and audiological experience.

FrontRow has been improving communication and learning in schools since 1963. Today, FrontRow Active learning systems provide innovative hearing and voice enhancement solutions in over 60 countries and in hundreds of New Zealand schools and thousands of classrooms.

References: Crandell C, Smaldino J and Flexor C (1995). Sound-field FM amplification: Theory and practical applications.

1

2

Blake P and Busby S. (1994)

Noise levels in New Zealand junior classrooms: their impact on hearing and teaching. The New Zealand Medical Journal, 107, 357-358 The Oticon Foundation in New Zealand (2002). Classroom Acoustics: A New Zealand Perspective.

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4

Crandle, Smaldino, 1994

For a full summary of Dr Michael Heeney’s research, “Creating Enhanced Learning Environments” please contact Oticon NZ Limited, Phone 0800 684 266 or visit www.gofrontrow. com for more information on FrontRow.

SoundSkills Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is the frequently unrecognised cause of learning difficulties and poor attention.

With a prevalence of five per cent, and more in some populations, there is a good chance there is at least one child per classroom in New Zealand struggling to hear because of Auditory Processing Disorder (APD). Due to poor awareness, most children with APD go undiagnosed.

APD is a hearing disorder in which the ears process sound normally but the brain cannot always understand or ‘hear’.

The problem lies in the auditory pathways and centres in the brain.

Causes include genetic factors, developmental delay, pregnancy or birth trauma, and impaired hearing due to glue ear or other middle ear disease during childhood. As Dr Bill Keith, director of SoundSkills specialist APD Clinic, explains, “Children with APD pass standard hearing tests, such as the B4 School Check, but they do not process speech sounds well.

While they appear to hear, they do not always understand.”

APD may coexist with other conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder, but in particular APD is closely linked to dyslexia, and language and reading problems.

Auditory processing disorders underlie dyslexia. As a result of the hearing disorder children do not develop a normal ability to recognise and discriminate the phonemes that make up language.

The consequent phonological awareness problems in turn affect language development, spelling and reading. All children with dyslexia and reading disorders should be assessed for APD.

Symptoms of APD include the following: • Difficulties comprehending spoken language unless brief, clear and simple • Hearing difficulty against other background sound

...Learning a musical instrument can help develop auditory processing skills, but so-called treatments involving listening to processed music are not supported by good scientific evidence...

Case study: Peter Ten year-old Peter struggled with the classroom environment. He would be exhausted after school and would retreat to a quiet space to recover. His teacher noticed mishearing at times, and hypersensitivity to background noise.

Peter was subsequently diagnosed with APD. His treatment included the fitting of remote microphone hearing aids. His mother reports: “Peter met me at the school gate on the day that the

• Slowness in processing spoken information • Poor listening skills • Poor auditory memory (e.g. difficulty following instructions) • Problems with speech, language, phonics, spelling, reading or written language.

Besides learning problems, the secondary effects of APD may include poor confidence and self-esteem, anxiety, problems with psychosocial development, excessive tiredness at the end of the day from the effort

equipment was fitted. This was a different child from the one who had met me for the last two years, with a grey, strained look on his face, and purple circles under his eyes. He was overjoyed! The first thing he said to me was, ‘This is going to change everything!’ Then he wanted to take me back to his classroom after school was over to show me how it worked. He excitedly told me that he could sit anywhere he wanted to in the classroom and still hear what the teacher has to say. It really has made a huge difference for us.”

of concentrating in school, withdrawal and sometimes behaviour problems.

Fortunately, due to the neuroplasticity of the brain, APD is very treatable. It requires specialised testing and individualised treatment by a multidisciplinary team.

“But, the good news,” Dr Keith says, “is that there is now robust evidence for the effectiveness of a number of interventions including hearing training to improve auditory skills, phonological awareness and language therapy to improve understanding, and

Hearing Impaired

education

wearing a personal ‘FM’ remote microphone hearing aid system to transmit the voice of the teacher, coach, parent, sibling or playmate clearly, mildly amplifying the speaker’s voice and lessening the impact of background noise.”

Learning a musical instrument can help develop auditory processing skills, but so-called treatments involving listening to processed music are not supported by good scientific evidence. International authority on auditory processing and the effect of music on the brain, Dr Nina Kraus, says in relation to passive listening to music for auditory training, “You don’t get fit by watching sport from a couch”.

Intervention can be effective at any age, but earlier is better.

APD mostly becomes evident once a child has started school; however, SoundSkills has treated children as young as three years of age. Research shows that use of remote microphone hearing aid systems is often only necessary temporarily since the amplification causes improvement in neural connections and neural transmission in the auditory pathways of the brain, leading to permanent improvement in auditory skills.

To hear an audio simulation of APD go to www.soundskills.co.nz Auditory Processing Disorder/How does it sound to have APD?

By Christine de Felice, Staff Reporter

Term 4 - 2014

school news

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TV Broadcasting

education

Developing skills and creativity in the TV studio

As media, in all its facets, becomes an increasingly important part of life and therefore study in New Zealand, many schools regard an on-site TV studio as a key ingredient for the development of students’ skills and creativity.

However, installing a TV studio in a school involves much more than just hanging up a few lights and setting up a couple of cameras ready for action.

So, as Steve Reader, managing

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director of Adena Ltd points out, it is vital to have people with the right qualifications and experience carry out the design and installation work.

His company is one of only a few in New Zealand able to do the design work for school TV studios, and about 90 per cent of its business is helping schools, he says.

“Building a TV studio is a unique situation that requires a very specific skillset. It is not like building a house, it’s more like assembling a machine; the right parts must be in the right places otherwise it won’t work properly. The only way

to ensure success is to design the functional studio space first, and then wrap the building around it.

It’s always much more expensive to change things after construction, so schools can save a lot of money by doing the job correctly in the first place.

“We find that whilst teaching staff know what they want to do with the equipment and architects can design a fabulous studio building, both parties are usually unfamiliar with the technical aspects of how and where the necessary equipment needs to be installed in the studio.

“For this reason schools should call a technical specialist right at the start to ensure all the skills, including the architect and the electrical engineer, are brought collectively to the table at the planning stage before the build commences. The school tells us what they want to do and we work out how it can be done and how much the equipment will cost, then we advise the architect so the critical technical aspects can be incorporated into their overall design for the building.”

In his experience, Mr Reader says

education TV Broadcasting

he has found that when schools rely on luck instead of obtaining a proper design for the technical systems, from suitably skilled people, the resultant studio is likely to be dysfunctional, but worse still, it may also be unsafe resulting in additional costly problems.

“Safety is paramount in designing any studio," he says, "but even more so in the school environment. Making mistakes is part of the learning process for all of us, so when students are learning we know they will make mistakes. For that reason we believe school studios should be designed so that students can make mistakes safely.”

An important factor, of course, is cost.

“Budgets are inevitably tight so careful studio design and equipment selection is essential to avoid a disappointing facility that will cost much more to fix than it would ever have cost to simply build it properly in the first place.

We help schools select equipment that is most appropriate for education facilities from a range of high-quality, professional-grade equipment that is known to be reliable. Sometimes it may be the cheapest option, too; however, the decision should never be made on price, but on fitness for purpose.”

As an education specialist, Adena has been in business over 25 years and in addition to its consultation and design services

rolling with its consultation design service. In consultation with the school, the company’s experts will develop the design of the studio, and then provide CAD drawings from which it will be built.

it supplies schools with all the technical and backstage items for theatre and media studies.

Gencom Technology With a history of more than 40 years providing expertise and technology solutions to the New Zealand television broadcasting industry and AV market, Gencom Technology is keen to extend its services within the education sector.

Already involved at the tertiary level with institutions such as AUT and Wintec, the company sees the growth of AV, TV and communication technology in schools as an opportunity to offer the benefits of its experience to primary, intermediate and secondary teachers and students.

Gencom has a range of products particularly suitable for use in schools, and is happy to recommend equipment

appropriate to each school’s requirements. This includes cameras, lights, vision mixers, tripods, in fact everything teachers and students need to set up and run their studio successfully.

Products are sourced from the world’s top manufacturers of broadcasting and AV equipment, including well-known brands like Sony, Panasonic, JVC, Samsung, and Roland. There are many options at appropriate price points for an academic budget, and Gencom can introduce customers to a financial lending service, for which schools automatically get approval.

For those who want to get started simply and quickly, Gencom offers several packages that are designed to work together to offer the best combination of capability and ease of use at a range of price points. For a school that is ready to set up a complete TV studio, Gencom will get the ball

Rapid developments in technology mean video content can now be streamed into the classroom via any device, from desktop computer to tablet or smartphone, and once the TV studio is up and running Gencom’s AV specialists will help teachers and students learn the techniques of streaming, although, as Gencom’s head of operations for New Zealand David Barnard says, with technology, “Kids know instinctively what to do”.

“One of the great things about this new technology is that it has become much more intuitive to use. Kids are already learning early how to interact with touchscreens, and the basic concepts of video production, just using smartphones and tablets,” Mr Barnard says.

“With many of the same features and interface elements integrated into these systems, they can pick them up and they already know the basics of how to use them.

As a result, kids can quickly brush aside the mechanics of the tools and get to what’s important – learning how to communicate their ideas.”

By Christine de Felice, Staff Reporter

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Contact Gencom, NZ’s leading provider of AV and Media technology solutions, for details of an AV reseller in your area.

Tel 09 913 7500 / 04 939 7100 email info@gencom.com www.gencom.com

Term 4 - 2014

school news

23

Hautapu School

profiles

Old to new - an innovative approach to MLE Hautapu School in Cambridge, a full primary school with a current roll of 221 students, has joined the MLE (Modern learning Environment) ranks in a very innovative and cost-effective way.

While there are brand-new schools being built to the MLE model, and other existing schools having new MLE spaces being constructed, Hautapu School has recently completed a project whereby two old classrooms were combined into a MLE with three teaching spaces.

The two classrooms were a relocatable classroom, which had been moved to Hautapu from another school in 1994, and a classroom that had been built on site in 1999.

“The plan was to provide a Modern Learning Environment by joining these classrooms together to create an environment for our New Entrant students where the transition from early childhood to Hautapu would be seamless.

There would be three teachers having ownership over all the students,” principal Marilynn Jones says.

a MLE. We met with the project managers, Gislers, and discussed our plans for joining the two classrooms together with a breakout area between.”

“Our vision was to join the two classrooms together with a wet area in between so we could use the space as one open space or use three separate areas as

“Their first drawings which came back to us were just refurbishing two single-cell classrooms, which wasn’t what we wanted. Before resubmitting them, we asked

24

When the architect’s drawings were initially provided to the school, they didn’t replicate the school’s vision, so they were resubmitted, Mrs Jones says.

our year three and four students what they missed most about the transition to school from preschool.

“They actually drew plans as well, with open spaces, different activities in each space, having some pets in the space – we have fish, a turtle and a rabbit now – a cooking area, where we now have a stove, more than one teacher and more hands-on activities.”

The revised plans were sent to the Ministry of Education for approval and building consent

was approved. Funding was provided under the school’s 5YA Ministry funding, with the furniture to be provided by Furnware.

The new MLE space, known as the Pohutukawa Pod, was officially opened by the Minister of Education, Hekia Parata, on June 5.

“The Minister was impressed with what we have achieved and that a MLE can be created using existing classrooms,” Mrs Jones says.

“Our Ministry property person was also impressed and has spread the word around.

"There has been positive feedback from our teachers, and parents of students, regarding the low student to teacher numbers.

The old buildings before they were redeveloped into a MLE.

school news

Term 4 - 2014

“The movement within the groups is seamless, as it is all under the same roof, and the sharing of resources and teacher practice has been a bonus. There are some issues around noise during formal lessons with literacy and numeracy teaching, but that’s overcome by closing the doors when required. The new furniture has allowed constant change, and the setting up of new areas,” she says.

Hautapu School

profiles

“With MLE, teachers have to be able to get along with one another and have a shared teaching philosophy, plus they need to be prepared to have ownership of all the children. Joint planning, shared practice, modelling good practice, a joint approach to solving problems, and trialling other people’s ideas are all benefits of MLE. But it may not suit all teachers who prefer having their own class space.”

Teachers from several schools have visited Hautapu School to

“Many schools do have old buildings and would like to have MLE but don’t believe it’s possible.”

have at look at what they have done, and have gone away with ideas they can incorporate in their schools.

“They have been very impressed with what we have created. The bright colours, open spaces and

Anytime, anywhere, any device.

modern furniture, merged from two older classrooms. It is about having that vision of what you want to achieve and how it will look.”

However, other schools have reservations about how existing

classrooms can be converted to MLE. “The MOE trend today is to build new schools around the MLE, shared spaces and multiple teachers. Many schools do have old buildings and would like to have MLE but don’t believe it’s possible,” Mrs Jones says.

She suggests they too should visit other MLE schools to see what they have done, but says schools considering changing first need to embrace the concept of MLE. 26

MUSAC edge relaunched While the initial launch of MUSAC edge was greeted with enthusiasm, the edge team have now fine-tuned the revolutionary school management system (SMS) and relaunched it packed with even more features.

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Term 4 - 2014

school news

25

Hautapu School

profiles

...The Minister was impressed with what we have achieved and that a MLE can be created using existing classrooms...

25 “Before you convert classrooms, knock down walls etc., there must be a philosophy and a desire to work collaboratively in a MLE. In terms of what it would cost to change rooms, or knock out walls, that would be on a case-by-case scenario. Schools do get property funding from the Ministry. We would all like to have new buildings within our schools, but we can make our learning environments more attractive with forward thinking and planning, and visiting other schools for ideas.

“We would like to change the rest of our school into MLEs, but cost

26

is a factor. In 2016 we are looking at refurbishing our years 6, 7 and 8 classrooms. Fingers crossed that we will have enough money to create a MLE for the senior school. We do have some money left from 5YA so we will look at quotes.”

Landscaping and design work is also underway at Hautapu School, with stage one, the front entrance to the school, already completed.

“Our challenge is the closure of roads due to the new expressway and to develop safe parking and pick-up areas for our students,” Mrs Jones says.

At the start of term four, Hautapu

School updated their SMS by moving to full use of the MUSAC Edge SMS. “We’re entering all our electronic attendance and student assessment data on the new system. We were using the previous MUSAC Classic, but the modernised Edge system is definitely much more userfriendly, and the teachers love it,” Mrs Jones says.

“It is also much easier to enter whole school data with National Standards information.

Previously, I had to do it manually, but with MUSAC Edge it calculates the school-wide data into year levels, gender, ethnicity and whole school percentages.”

Principal at Hautapu for the last six years, and a teacher there for the previous 14 years, Mrs Jones says she is passionate about education and teaching and learning from children.

school news

Term 4 - 2014

profession, however, and says it is hard for teachers starting out on their career to get a teaching position.

“A solution to this problem would be if the Ministry of Education placed and paid beginning teachers for one year’s professional development within a school. This would not come out of a school’s staffing entitlement.

“I believe a MLE would be an ideal situation where a beginning teacher could be immersed in an environment where teaching is constantly modelled, ideas shared etc.”

She also thinks there is not enough value placed on the teaching profession in New Zealand.

“Hautapu School is where my heart is. It is a special, safe, caring place for youngsters to enjoy their learning and strive for the best, and the staff and the community make it all the more enjoyable to be here.”

“New Zealand teachers are the best in the world. We need to showcase and celebrate the wonderful teaching and learning that goes on in our schools. I honestly think that a lot of the public are not aware of the long hours and dedication our teachers have to our profession.”

She does have concerns about some aspects of the teaching

By Christine de Felice, Staff Reporter

School Uniforms

admin & management

Uniforms promote pride in the school

Head students at Bayfield High School, Dunedin in their uniforms.

While there have been debates in many countries over the years about the pros and cons of school uniform as opposed to mufti, most schools in New Zealand opt for a uniform.

There are a number of reasons for that, one being to promote pride in the schools. Principal of Bayfield High School in Dunedin Judith Forbes says she sees that as one of the main benefits of a uniform.

“For the students, it promotes a sense of pride, both in themselves and in their school, it gives them a sense of identity with the school,” Mrs Forbes says. “Wearing a uniform is better. I’ve heard arguments both ways, but the biggest thing is the identity with the school, and there are safety things around that too. For example, if there is someone else in the school grounds, we will be able to see them.”

While there is an initial outlay, a school uniform also saves families money in the long run, she says.

A school uniform, which usually incorporates the school colours in some way, tends to remain the same over the medium to long term.

Inevitably, though, the time comes to update the uniform to meet changing norms and preferences.

Paul Frampton of uniform supply company Moana Clothing says they find the driving force to update the uniform sometimes comes from the students themselves.

“I believe that’s how it should be – because then there’s buy-in from the students,” he says.

In fact, that was the situation at Bayfield High when the uniform was changed about four years ago.

“The students had a huge voice. There was a whole lot of consultation but it was largely chosen by the students, and there’s been a lot of support from the community,” Mrs Forbes says.

One aspect of the increased formality Mr Frampton has found interesting is that the girls want to wear blazers and ties more than the boys do. “When schools decide to change their uniform we often work jointly with them on the redesign,” he says. “Our role is to interpret and temper what they suggest. There’s a big variety of body shapes and sizes among students, so that’s where experience and skill comes in. We help them understand what looks good and what doesn’t.”

is colour fast, and has no pilling issues.The traditional all-wool blazer, which was expensive and not practical, has been replaced with more modern fabrics and is significantly less expensive, which means a school uniform can include a blazer, he says.

Fabric choice is another key factor, Mr Frampton says.

“The lighter wool/polyviscose fabrics have improved in quality and composition and they can perform very well. They are also machine-washable, which is better than having to go to the expense of having them dry-cleaned.”

The appropriate fabric will be one that stands up to wear and tear,

By Christine de Felice, Staff Reporter

Mr Frampton notes that uniforms have become more formal in recent years, with students wanting to look smarter, and this too was evident at Bayfield.

“Our uniform was particularly casual but with the change the students wanted a more formal look because they were wanting to look really smart. Dunedin is a fairly conservative town and the students felt that by looking smart in their uniform they got more respect from the community,” Mrs Forbes says.

Designers and providers of all school uniform solutions

www.moanaclothing.co.nz service@moanaclothing.co.nz 0800 112 102

Term 4 - 2014

school news

27

School Uniforms

admin & management

Sports uniforms – Getting it right Paul Frampton Managing Director, Moana Clothing

“Hell will freeze over before this school wears a uniform” were the words of one principal, proud of the mufti tradition of his school.

I didn’t like to point out that they did indeed have uniforms at the school – sports uniforms. All schools that have sports teams will have some sort of uniform and often the codes stipulate certain elements of the uniform. For example, whether numbers are on shirts and their placement, or team positions as in netball.

Sports uniforms are not just a point of pride to encourage the wearer to ever greater performance, but a point of identity. Sports uniforms are part of the school brand. Although when you look at the myriad of kit on display at some schools, it is clear they have lost an opportunity.

I remember the embarrassment, or was it annoyance, of a principal who owned up to having to ask a spectator which team was his 1st XV. He’d gone to watch the first match of the season and was confronted by teams wearing kit that bore no relation whatsoever to the school colours. A kindly local businessman had bought new kit for the 1st XV. He had paid for it so he thought he would supply what he liked and not what the school might have wanted.

Schools are increasingly taking control and seeking consistent branding across all their sporting teams. This is not to undermine

dismayed to see another team in exactly the same kit.

Things had to change!

The new sports director, working with the manager of the uniform shop, decided to overhaul their PE top and sports uniform. They sought to have a consistent look across general PE and all sporting codes.

the fundraising efforts of the sports staff and volunteers, but consistent branding is consistent branding.

Often it requires the principal to lay down the law. And this is where we can help.

At Moana Clothing, we recently worked with a large girls’ college that decided to update their PE and sports kit. Like many schools, this particular girls’ college had no consistency between the PE top and the various sports uniforms, which were sourced from different suppliers with little reference to school colours. The PE top, which was sold by the uniform shop as part of the general school uniform, was a cotton polo shirt. This took ages to dry and was universally disliked by the girls.

Things came to a head when the elite netball team attended a national competition. The team wore a new uniform sourced from a catalogue.

The team looked smart but were

Designers and providers of school sportswear and teamwear solutions

www.moanaclothing.co.nz service@moanaclothing.co.nz 0800 112 102 28

school news

Term 4 - 2014

The Moana Sport design team worked with the college to understand and interpret their requirements, ideas and concepts.

They sought a PE top that was in a modern wicking fabric that dried quickly, had application beyond merely PE and would be acceptable to the girls. It became clear that to deliver their requirements, the garments would have to be sublimated. Sublimation is not a cheap process. But sublimation removes the need for embroidery and screen printing and offers a smarter and sharper result. For many schools, once the cost of embroidery and screen printing is taken into account, the final sublimated garment is cheaper than the alternative.

The first cab off the college rank was the PE top, which became the standard issue for all year 9 girls. This was quickly followed by dragon boating singlets, waka ama singlets, netball tops, netball skirts, hockey uniforms, basketball tops, basketball shorts, elite netball tops and skirts and an athletic top. The aim is for all sporting codes to be in the new designs by the end of the year.

The feedback from the students has been excellent. The new PE top has not only been bought by new entrants but also many of the year 10 and above girls have ditched their old polo tops and bought the new PE top. And very soon all sports teams will have uniforms that bear the college branding. No more asking a random spectator ‘which is our team?’!

Just a few final words about sublimation. With sublimation, dye is impregnated into the material and this colour change is permanent. So there are no issues with durability and the images can be really sharp.

Another great advantage with sublimation, the cost is the same whether the garment is plain or is filled with sponsors’ logos.

So instead of letting the local businessman buy the rugby shirts, get him to sponsor his branding on the shirts that you get made.

Just think of the shirt as a blank canvas to be filled with whatever sponsorship you can get. This approach might allow you to have new first team strip every year.

admin & management Supplier Profile | Showcases Direct

Proud of your achievements?

– Show it off!

TROPHIES AND AWARDS are a source of great pride for schools, and are a tangible reward for hard work and organisation.

But most schools have their trophies poorly displayed, collecting dust, in dimly lit spaces, unsecured or, worse, not displayed at all.

The easy solution is the extensive range of quality display cabinets now available from Showcases Direct.

SHOWCASES DIRECT is one of New Zealand’s leading suppliers of high quality showcases, display cases and display cabinets.

In addition to their unique range of frameless cabinets, they also stock a range of framed cabinets, counter-top cabinets, counters, freestanding units and wall units.

Trophy cabinets should be well-lit, lockable, have adjustable shelving, be strong, and, most importantly, provide easy viewing. And being inexpensive doesn’t hurt, either, says their Director David Lindsey.

We believe in providing our customers with well-designed, high quality products at a great price. These are the elements schools require, and our track record demonstrates this, he added.

Lee Hopkirk, Principal of Milford School says “Our new trophy cabinet from Showcases Direct is perfect for

Make Your Trophies The Centrepiece of School Pride.

what we needed. We wanted something low that would fit under an existing display. It also needed to be strong because it would be in a public area of our school. We got both of these things, and we are very pleased with the result. Showcases Direct were very accommodating.”

Sue Cattell, Deputy Principal of Takapuna Normal Intermediate School adds “Our trophy cabinet has been everything we hoped it would be. It displays our school’s achievements in a very elegant fashion, and gives our school community a focus for the pride they feel in themselves.”

Showcases Direct’s customers include schools, pharmacies, tertiary institutions, jewellers, and gift shops all the way through to corporations and collectors.

Cabinets can be shipped throughout NZ at very competitive rates – usually flat packed to avoid damage and save costs.

Assembly is straightforward, with helpful instructions and all the tools necessary provided in the box.

So, whatever your situation, a quality glass cabinet from ShowcasesDirect will serve you well.

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Term 4 - 2014

school news

29

Library Management Systems

admin & management

Managing the school library in a modern education environment An increasing volume of electronic material and devices available in New Zealand schools has extended teaching and learning resources to a virtually unlimited level.

The ability to efficiently store and manage those resources – both physical and digital – is critical if teachers and students are to get maximum teaching and learning benefits.

Many schools are opting to have an electronic library management system installed to meet those requirements, and several IT companies have developed these systems specifically for use in schools.

Softlink Softlink is the largest provider of school library systems across Australia and New Zealand, with almost one in two schools in the region using a Softlink system.

The company’s product specialist and trained librarian Dion Dias says there are numerous benefits for a school using a fully webbased library management system.

“Communication between the library and the school community is revolutionised, users no longer have to physically visit the library to communicate with the librarians and librarians can initiate the communication much more easily.”

Softlink has recently developed a deep digital integration functionality that allows users to borrow and download e-books from within the school’s webaccessible home/search page without having to separately log into an e-book provider site, Mr Dias says.

“This level of functionality allows parents to be more involved with helping or encouraging their children to read more, and access more library resources.

“Availability of and easy access to valuable and curated content

30

school news

Term 4 - 2014

and resources means that now, even more than ever, the library is a school’s centre for knowledge, content and information.”

A further benefit of an electronic library management system is that it enables librarians to manage their collections based on borrowing trends and popularity.

Statistical reporting is available on book usage, and resource downloads, and Softlink’s school library software allows users to rate and review books and other media, with their reviews available for the next potential borrower to see.

Softlink’s New Zealand business account manager Lyn Walker says this helps library staff make decisions regarding purchasing and stocking and can also assist teachers to make curriculum choices.

With an electronic library management system, circulation and cataloguing workflow is improved, saving library staff time and allowing for better management of resources across the school. The software can be used for asset management of school equipment as well as books and digital resources.

Libraries can also use their digital interface to promote different books, resources and events with book carousels and cover images, embedded videos of interview with authors, student reviews, book club meetings and competitions.

the library and reading, multiple search options and functions to make searching easier, even a library map functionality showing the student where the books or resources are located in the library so they can go directly to them.

Softlink’s latest knowledge, content and library management platform, Oliver v5, was designed for e-book use in larger educational institutions and to meet the demands of Cloud deployment. It is a fully web-based system.

There is also the new junior and intermediate school student interface, called Orbit, which allows students to personalise their home page by choosing from a range of backgrounds, avatatars and colour schemes.

“That’s the really important thing – the library system is truly online, so students and teachers can access school library resources from anywhere. They can search from their classroom, their tablets, their mobile phones, and send digital enquiries to library staff about books or research material they require,” Mr Dias says.

“Students can be alerted when their book or research material comes in, ot alerted when a loan is overdue, which makes circulation much easier to manage.”

Oliver v5 offers many innovative features for schools. They include engaging interfaces to get students excited about using

Oliver v5 integrates with virtual learning environments, school management systems and is compatible with multiple web browsers. It also offers one-click integration with the innovative EPIC database initiative being managed by the National Library of New Zealand.

Mr Dias says the past 12 months have seen significant new features and enhancements being made to Oliver v5, including an industryleading Federated Search Model, the above-mentioned Orbit, Public Access Platform (PAP) technology which ensures the highest level of security when the library is accessed externally, and search support, as well as multiple other 32 features and functionality.

Library Management Systems

admin & management

e-books, electronic documents and videos. And at the same time, it can also display online digital content such as EBSCO, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Khan Academy – all in a single search,” Mr Neyland says.

30 “Staying abreast of the latest technologies and the learning opportunities they offer and streamlined integration with other educational tools, software and content continue to be Softlinks key area of focus,” he says.

“The result is that all your existing resources within the school and online digital content are discoverable from one place, and from one search.

MUSAC “MUSAC Library Management software is among the top three most-used systems of its type in New Zealand and around the Pacific,” account manager Phil Simms says.

“Access-It can even pass through authentication seamlessly so users don't need to know login details to subscription databases.”

“It’s one of the unsung heroes of the MUSAC software portfolio, and has been installed in hundreds of schools.

“Library Manager combines powerful features with ease of use, making it an ideal digital system for libraries, resource rooms, or any other catalogue. It’s also a very adaptable system, intuitive, easy to set up and extremely effective for managing school libraries of any size.

“Library Manager allows for quick incorporation of new acquisitions, full cataloguing with customisable fields, cataloguing of e-books, and links to valid websites for view and potential download of e-books,” Mr Simms says.

“Borrower management is automatically linked to either of MUSAC Classic or edge, or can be manually managed. Also included are provision for daily circulation, resource kit management, and tracking of reserves.

32

school news

Term 4 - 2014

And of course, the modern library should be accessible from anywhere, any time, he says.

“Stocktaking is highly automated, including portable barcode scanner support.”

Library Manager reporting includes overdue slips, lists and letters, analysis of reading habits, search and title popularity as well as printing of spine labels, barcodes and cards.

Students can interact with the system (OPAC) and search by a range of options including title, subject, author or keyword in addition to reserving books.

Teaching and physical resources e.g. journals, textbooks, desktop computers and laptops, can be catalogued with barcodes scanned into the data base so the items can be easily tracked.

MUSAC also provides a barcode label printing service and plastic

label covers, used for library books and other assets such as laptops and PCs. See more on http://www.musac.co.nz/barcodelabel.”

Access-It “The modern library needs to be an integral part of the modern learning environment,” says CEO of Access-It, Martin Neyland.

“Students (and staff) tend to just search once for things, and if they only search once, that tends to be Google. But it's not very helpful to discover 36,000,000 unmoderated search results whenever I search Google for information about 'climate’.

“With the Access-It ‘One Search’, users can search for all the wonderful physical resources in the school, library material,

Users can search Access-It from the classroom or home, on any browser, iPad, tablet, Android smartphone or iPhone. And they should be able to see all formats, such as the physical book, the e-book and the audiobook options.

Once students and staff know they will discover all formats and all quality results from the single search, Access-It really does become an integral part of the teaching and learning environment within the modern learning environment, Mr Neyland says.

Access-It is a New Zealand library and information management solution, and is used in over 30 countries. Its head office is in Wellington. For more information email: info@accessitsoftware. com

admin & management

enabled us to merge the libraries into one system, but still showing clearly where the resources are. It’s the same system right across the campus so we can provide a seamless library service as students move through the college,” Mrs Kennedy says.

St Andrew’s College in Christchurch had Softlink’s Oliver v5 library management system installed in July 2013.

A private, co-educational school, St Andrew’s has 1300 students on the roll – 400 in the preparatory school, years 1-8, and 900 in the secondary school, years 9-13.

The school had previously used Oliver v3 for about three years, and before that, Alice. The latest version is a complete knowledge, content and library management tool for schools, which provides everything a modern library needs to function efficiently. It manages all the day-to-day operations of the library – the circulation of books, cataloguing, automatic emailing, stock-taking and more. Training on how to use Oliver v5 was provided by the company’s New Zealand business account manager Lyn Walker.

“We upgraded to the new version for a number of reasons, primarily because it is web-based,” the college’s library manager Cathy Kennedy says, “but the main driver was the system’s ability to integrate ebooks into the catalogue. That’s the recent big innovation, whereby our digital library can fully integrate into the catalogue, and users can borrow directly through Oliver and read the e-books on any device.

“The public interface allows users to search the library catalogue from any device,” Mrs Kennedy says.

“They have the ability to access the catalogue from anywhere at any time. Users can also access the library with an app on their smartphone or tablet. Having that 24/7 access to resources is a huge advantage.”

Those resources are not necessarily traditional books or ebooks. They also include video files, images, and all forms of research material.

“By logging into the home page on the library site students have immediate access at any time to a one-stop-shop with a vast

collection of reading and research material,” Mrs Kennedy says.

“The home page that the Oliver system allows us to build is a launch pad, a window to a world of information. It includes links to other internet sites, including good New Zealand websites. We also post library news on the home page, and put up photos of events like Book Week. Book trailers can also be made available for students to view.”

Another key advantage of Oliver v5 is that it offers a storage facility for all types of electronic and computer files.

“It can store any kind of files and they are all accessible through the library catalogue, which students as well as teachers from all departments can access.”

Oliver v5 has provided for the college is the incorporation of the school’s two libraries into one system.

“That’s another reason we like it, the ability to have two branches on the same system. St Andrew’s has two libraries – the preparatory and the secondary, and all the books and resources are in a ‘one library, two branches’ format. Oliver

Case Study – St Andrew’s College

Integration of e-books key factor for St Andrew's

Representatives from schools with the Oliver v5 library management system meet regularly to share information and discuss any issues they have. Ms Walker attends all the meetings, giving updates from Softlink and helping with any problems schools might be having.

“If there’s something we would like to be different, she goes back to the IT people at Softlink to see if it can be done. The support we get from Softlink is great. Emails are answered immediately and any issues are solved really quickly and efficiently,” Mrs Kennedy says.

By Christine de Felice, Staff Reporter

7 CHALLENGES What are the top

FOR SCHOOL LIBRARIES?

The system also catalogues websites, making it easier for users to find helpful websites on particular topics.

7 CHALLENGES Read the…

“We regularly monitor catalogues of good websites on popular topics and add them to the library catalogue, which includes a link taking them directly from Oliver to the website,” Mrs Kennedy says.

WHITEPAPER

Scan or download from softlinkint.com/7challenges

Oliver v5 also provides students with a self-management tool for their library usage.

“This is particularly good for the younger students. They can log in and see what books they have borrowed, and when books are due back. They can also reserve books, and they can do all this at home or at school.”

A further and significant advantage

Powering Knowledge Performance

ƐŽŌůŝŶŬŝŶƚ͘ĐŽŵ Term 4 - 2014

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Science Learning & Equipment

teaching resources

Boosting science skills with well-equipped labs In November 2013, Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce and Education Minister Hekia Parata announced $10.5 million in additional funding was to be provided for schools to raise student achievement in maths and science.

As Mr Joyce said when making the announcement: “Boosting the skills and achievement of our young people in maths and science is essential for their future careers and for New Zealand’s economic growth and prosperity.”

Part of that process is for schools to fit out their school laboratories with the equipment and materials to enable students to reach their full potential in the field of science, and seeking advice from experts.

Crescendo Enterprises Crescendo Enterprises Ltd was established in 1964 with the specific aim of supplying educational science equipment and apparatus to schools throughout New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

“Because we have been supplying equipment to schools for so many years we know what equipment is needed. By holding stock we have been able to ship goods promptly and have built up a good rapport with schools as a result,” director David Tunnicliffe says.

“We help schools select the items they require given what they are wanting to do, particularly up to year 8. Secondary schools have a better idea of their requirements.

The range of equipment Crescendo Enterprises Ltd supplies includes magnets, prisms and lenses, magnetic compasses, microscopes, power supplies, batteries, torch bulbs, torch bulb holders, alligator clips & wire, laboratory glassware, electricity kits, switches and electrical connecting wire. The list of chemicals stocked is extensive.

These are mainly sold to schools

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from years nine to thirteen.

Copper sulphate is a very popular chemical for crystal growing and is ordered by schools up to year 8.

“In terms of what primary and intermediate schools purchase, a lot depends on the particular interest of teachers,” Mr Tunnicliffe says.

“For example, some teachers may have more of a focus on nature and studying plants, so they would want magnifiers, microscopes or charts for students to examine leaves and flowers. Others prefer more laboratory-oriented items such as electrical items, prisms and magnets.”

Science teaching and learning has developed into a more handson process in recent years,” Mr Tunnicliffe says.

“Instead of the teacher standing in front of the class and the students just watching and listening, it has now become much more hands-on for students with simpler equipment being available for them to do the experiments themselves, so they can get a greater understanding of the subject. At senior levels (years 11 to 13) there is an increasing use of technology such as data loggers.”

For secondary schools, which have a specific science curriculum to follow for both NCEA and Cambridge examinations, Crescendo Enterprises Ltd supplies a full range of more sophisticated equipment to meet all the curriculum requirements.

This includes technology-based items, electronics kits etc.

Schools setting up new science laboratories or upgrading existing ones can seek assistance from Crescendo Enterprises Ltd. They recommend what equipment should be purchased having reequipped many laboratories over the years.

“We have a strong focus on safety and can supply laboratory coats, plastic aprons, safety goggles, safety glasses, safety shields and the like. We advise schools how chemicals should be handles and stored. Safety storage cabinets are available too,” Mr Tunnicliffe says.

Delta Educational Science In addition to supplying the dayto-day orders of busy school science departments, the setting up of new science laboratories has been a specialty of the Delta Educational Science team for the last 20 years. Over that time

the company has been setting up laboratories and supplying equipment to schools right across New Zealand.

“We have a complete range of science equipment for schools – that’s our core market,” business manager of science Derek Weir says. “But whether the need is for science equipment, chemicals or general educational supplies, our goal is to be the one-stop-shop for schools. If we don’t have it, we will try to find it.

“We cover the areas of biology, chemistry and physics with general labware and consummables, plus we supply general equipment science classes often use, such as AV equipment, lab furniture like stools and other items.

“Basically, we supply everything schools need, from glassware to gyroscopes, magnets to microscopes and everything in between.”

Recently the company has begun introducing items to meet the requirements of STEM EDUCATION (the acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics), which are seen as priority areas of education in countries around the world.

teaching resources Science Learning & Equipment

“For example, we have a benchtop-size wind turbine that students can build, modify, test and race in an efficiency competition, and a new line of renewable energy science educational products including the unique hydrogen fuel cell products from Horizon Educational,” Mr Weir says.

One of the key efficiency requirements for school science laboratories is knowing how to store and where to store their specialised equipment, Mr Weir says.

Delta Educational not only provides advice on safe, secure storage, it also supplies storage systems from internationally renowned manufacturer, Gratnells.

“We are the New Zealand agent for Gratnells. Their science and technology storage system is quickly replacing the old tote tray

system and most new schools are using it.

“We always receive very positive feedback from schools that have purchased it. For example, the science technician from one school said: ‘We were very excited

when our new system arrived, and we have not been disappointed with it; the Gratnells system lives up to our expectations and needs.

The trays are strong and the runners stable – not like the old and wobbly tote trays that kept falling off the runners’.

“Our key focus,” Mr Weir says, “is on customer service, integrity, quality and cost-competitive solutions, which, we believe, is what schools really want.”

By Christine de Felice, Staff Reporter

For iPad®, Windows® 8 and Android® tablets SPARKvue® HD data acquisition and analysis software is an excellent solution for the science lab when used with the SPARKlink® Air.

Over 70 Physics, Chemistry and Biology sensors available.

For more details call 09 448 2600 or email info@electrotest.co.nz

www.electrotest.co.nz www.pasco.com

12A Te Kea Place, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand PO Box 300-475, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand Phone: +64 9 448 2600 Fax: +64 9 448 2611

©2013 PASCO scientific. All trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners. S-0281_A_intl

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Science Learning & Equipment

teaching resources

Fume cupboards must be maintained to safety Standard The Building Act 2004 uses laboratory fume cupboards as an example of equipment, which must be included in the compliance schedule for building warrant of fitness.

...Very few auditors have any real knowledge of construction or operation of fume cupboards, and may not even know enough to identify a defect, let alone report or fix it...

This means that the building owner is responsible to have scheduled items tested and certified annually.

For fume cupboards the reference Standard for testing is AS/NZS 2243.8 Safety in Laboratories: Part 8.

State schools are owned by the Ministry of Education, and operated by the Board of Trustees. As owners, the Ministry contracts out compliance testing, including fume cupboards.

These contracts are price driven, which has a limiting effect on

the scope of testing. In general they follow a short checklist for testing airflow and some aspects of compliance. No maintenance is performed. Very few auditors

have any real knowledge of construction or operation of fume cupboards, and may not even know enough to identify a defect, let alone report or fix it.

The problem is that the client sees a sticker on the fume cupboard and thinks it means the fume cupboard has been maintained.

Teacher makes physics accessible to everyone Physics department head at Manurewa High School in Auckland, Fenella Colyer, was the 2013 winner of the prestigious Prime Minister’s Science Teacher Prize for outstanding achievement, which carries a prize of $150,000.

Mrs Colyer puts in a great deal of effort to make physics accessible to all her students. Not believing that one size fits all, Mrs Colyer uses PASCO’s SPARK Science Learning System™ to create individualised physics modules so there will be no students who “fall through the cracks” because of different learning styles. Mrs Colyer

SPECIALIST SUPPLIERS OF

SCIENCE

EDUCATIONAL EQUIPMENT w w w.crescendo.co.nz

Ph: 09-336-1001 / Fax: 09-336-1002 Email: inquiries@crescendo.co.nz

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creates SPARKlabs® on her SPARK handhelds, and the labs are full of practical examples her students can relate to. As a result of Mrs Colyer’s reinvigorating the science programme at Manurewa High School, one third of the senior science students now take physics.

...The labs are full of practical examples her students can relate to...

To make it worse, the Form12A submitted to the local authority with the BWOF declares that the item performs and has been maintained to the Standard even though usually this is not true.

Standard AS/NZ 2248.8 does not require maintenance to be done when a fume cupboard is tested, but DOES require testing as part of the maintenance plan.

So the auditors are not required to carry out any maintenance themselves.

However, they ARE required to determine compliance with maintenance as per section 5 of the Standard.

If the auditor is not maintaining the unit themselves, they must seek proof of maintenance by others ... but no auditor ever does, and so by negligence the client is misled.

The Ministry will not maintain

equipment. Maintenance is the responsibility of the school administration.

equipment, but would be declared UNSAFE by today’s Standard.

Fume cupboard maintenance is not difficult, but does require a trained eye to assess construction and operational condition.

There are still many fume cupboards around which were installed before 1986, when the first Standard was published.

The main deficiencies are insufficient airflow, poor airflow distribution in the fume chamber (letting fumes escape into the lab), poor lighting, lack of spill protection, absence of safety sequence control, and poor fume dispersal. It is not practical or cost-effective to modify these old fume cupboards, and anything over 20 years old owes nothing on the books. However, there is no incentive to replace them because they continue to get a "granny" exemption sticker every year.

Therefore these fume cupboards do not have any conditions of compliance at all. The products of this era are very poor, and have significant deficiencies compared with current models.

They are supposed to be safety

Fume cupboards are safety equipment for which our expectations have advanced, along with our statutory liability towards our employees. I do not think any board would allow students to go to school in a

Expertise and experience are worthwhile. Now, I would like to address the issue of age. Fume cupboards are audited to the Standard that was current at the time of installation.

40-year-old bus with no speedo, brakes, seatbelts or lights, but that is the equivalent hazard exposure in old laboratories. That fume cupboards are a nominated example in The Building Act is proof of their statutory importance as safety equipment, but because of this loophole granny exemption, many pupils and staff are still exposed to the harmful inadequacies of ancient defective fume cupboards.

Science Learning & Equipment

teaching resources

By Malcolm Hubbert, Calibre Solutions Malcolm Hubbert an engineer with 38 years’ experience in designing, manufacturing, installing and repairing fume cupboards, serves on the committee which wrote the AU/NZ Standard for fume cupboards, and is a registered Independent Qualified Person for auditing fume cupboards.

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“Assisting New Zealand Educators for over 20 years!”

Call us on 0508 654321 or 09 629 3234 | Fax: 09 620 5080 | Email: sales@deltaed.co.nz

Term 4 - 2014

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Book Reviews

teaching resources Wheelnuts! #1: Desert Dust-Up

Knife & Packer Scholastic For ages 7+ years Six crazy cars, five outlandish courses, one winner – buckle up for Wheelnuts, the craziest race on Earth! These hilarious, fast-paced stories feature crazy characters, outrageous racetracks and full-colour illustrations.

Ghoulish Get-Ups: Create Your Own Freaky Costumes

A Dark Inheritance

Chris D'Lacey Scholastic For ages 10+ years Michael Malone’s life has not been the same since his father disappeared three years ago. Determined to find him, Michael gets unwittingly drawn into supernatural organisation UNICORNE, who claim to have vital information for his quest. But they want something in return.

Something that is hidden in Michael’s very bones.

Like Cheese is hopefully the first of several adventures featuring Mike; now 12, Hannah is already planning the sequel. Hannah Chandler used to dictate tales to her mum Renee to write down when she was just three. Her love of words and stories continued until, challenged by her principal to write a book, at the age of 11 she wrote I Don’t Like Cheese!

Now still only 12 and not yet in high school, she’s planning the sequel. Lauren Merrick has always had a love of illustration. Growing up, most of her time was spent drawing and painting. This has continued into her adult life and she now works full-time as an illustrator. She has developed her own whimsical illustration style, involving watercolour and papercut mediums. And for the record, she loves cheese!

A Treasury of NZ Poems for Children

Fifi Colston Scholastic For ages 10 to adult New from Fifi Colston: following on from the 2014 NZ Post Award finalist and LIANZA Elsie Locke Non Fiction Award-winning title Wearable Wonders, comes this costume how-to guide for Halloween and beyond. From quick ideas involving just a baggy T-shirt and nine nifty outfits, to delightfully gross ideas involving bubble wrap and yoghurt, this how-to handbook is a lifesaver.

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Written by Hannah Chandler when she was just 11 years old, I Don’t

Tessa Duder Illustrated by Bruce Potter Libro International For ages 10-15

The stories in Out on the Water range from a girl’s experience of her first Optimist regatta to a boy learning the ropes on a tall ship from Sydney to Auckland in the 1880s.

Edited by Paula Green Illustrated by Jenny Cooper Random House NZ For children of all ages

Mike the mouse isn’t like other mice. He just won’t eat cheese.

Fortunately, Ashley, the little human girl who lives in the house, feeds him lots of tasty treats: like pizza and tacos. But, hold on, don’t those have cheese in them? This delightful picture book explores how even the fussiest eaters can be tempted to try new flavours. And, if you’re anything like Mike, you might find you develop quite a taste for international cuisine along the way!

Out on the Water

Renowned children’s author Tessa Duder and illustrator Bruce Potter have combined to produce a stirring collection of 12 stories about kids out on the water around New Zealand.

I Don’t Like Cheese

Hannah Chandler Illustrated by Lauren Merrick EK Books For ages 4-7 years

poets, A Treasury of New Zealand Poems for Children will captivate readers young and old.

Highly regarded New Zealand poet and poetry champion Paula Green and gifted illustrator Jenny Cooper have combined their skills to produce this lively and carefully curated collection of New Zealand poems for children, a must-have for every home, school and library.

Bursting with wonderful poems that will make you laugh, cry and ponder, A Treasury of New Zealand Poems for Children is beautifully illustrated and makes a perfect gift book.

Its modern design with charming illustrations makes poetry fresh and alive for a new generation.

With poems by all the big names — from Margaret Mahy and Hone Tuwhare to Joy Cowley and Bill Manhire as well as exciting new

Each story features a full-page line drawing, and weaves into the text a rich thread of sailing words and knowledge (helped by a glossary of language of the sea).

This is Duder’s first fiction for young adults in over 10 years. Her most recent young adult non-fiction is The Story of Sir Peter Blake – and one of the new stories is a fictionalised account of Peter Blake and brother Tony on an after-school sail across Waitemata Harbour.

In the book’s introduction, Duder writes how the book answers the request from a grandson for stories about children going sailing.

“So here are 12 stories about young people having a wide range of experiences on the water – inshore as crew or skipper, or as crew on offshore voyages.”

Duder, who lives on Auckland’s North Shore, is a keen sailor with a long-standing commitment to the sport in New Zealand, from tutoring Optimist sailors to her work for the Spirit of Adventure Trust.

Video collaboration – the delivery of borderless education As educators, we are constantly bombarded with a wealth of new technology.

For teachers, deciding what to select and how to use these technologies and apps in the classroom can be confusing.

One of the biggest trends in the global education landscape right now is video collaboration.

Primary, secondary and tertiary sectors are all transforming the way they teach, helping students get equipped for the digital age.

Through technologies like video collaboration, educators now have the ability to defy distance, creating borderless classrooms that provide educational equity for all.

Video collaboration also allows us to create a collaborative learning environment where students are more engaged, capable and developing higher critical thinking skills. Classroom-based collaborative environments are online spaces — often cloudbased — where the focus is on making it easy to collaborate and work in groups, whether the students are in the same physical location or not.

Marci Powell Global Director Education Industry Solutions, Polycom

participation is easier when you use video collaboration and content sharing technology that lets you see everyone you’ve invited to a learning experience while also viewing and annotating on the content.

Content and resources to get you started

For me, the use of technology should be driven by what makes teaching and learning more engaging and fun for students and teachers alike.

The New Zealand Government has invested significantly in ensuring school children will have access to the most innovative 21st-century learning opportunities. This includes connecting every school to ultra-fast broadband and the $211 million managed Network for Learning (N4L), part of a plan to get fast, reliable, uncapped internet into schools.

Video Collaboration

teaching resources

in virtual excursions, speak other languages and chat with subject-matter experts.

2. Improved access to education: better access is delivered for those students who are too ill to come to school, live remotely, or who are travelling.

3. Student achievement is likely to improve: students have the opportunity to practise skills they need in the workplace. In addition, students gain applied skills employers need such as critical thinking, problem-solving and team work.

4. Increased productivity for educators: remote participation in workshops and seminars helps educators avoid unnecessary travel. It also allows them to connect and share experiences and learning modules with teachers across borders.

5. Improved distance-learning: students enrolled in distancelearning programmes can benefit through virtual and interactive, face-to-face encounters, which increases engagement and participation.

Benefits of Video Collaboration in Education

Virtual school excursions

1. Classroom experiences and learning opportunities are enhanced: students have the chance to participate

Video collaboration technology is allowing schools to explore new ways of teaching that are enriching students’ learning

experiences. With faster bandwidth available, more schools are using video technology to participate in virtual excursions.

Schools can join virtual education events that allow students to participate in a diverse range of learning experiences from trekking into the jungles of Borneo to observing the transit of Venus with commentary from a professor in astronomy. These events allow students to interact with others and are a highly effective way of increasing the absorption of knowledge.

Tips for first-time collaborators 1. Content sharing – with the right video conferencing solution, e.g. high definition, you can see all the participants clearly, plus share content with them anytime, anywhere – all in real time.

2. Can I have your attention please – video collaboration features eye contact and non-verbal cues, encouraging everyone to collaborate and contribute as if they are in the same room.

3. All eyes on the board – choose a video collaboration solution that allows everyone in your meeting to brainstorm and annotate directly on your content in real-time.

4. Being a good host – full

There is knowledge available that make it easy for teachers to use video collaboration technology to its greatest advantage. Take ‘Collaborations around the Planet’ (CAPspace) as an example. Over 15,000 teachers from 56 countries currently use CAPspace to post collaborative projects, seek partner schools, or participate in special events.

Where to from here?

It’s clear that the transformation of learning in New Zealand has been fast-tracked with the rapid advance of technology combined with widespread availability of ultra-fast broadband. Where do I think that will take us in the very near future? It will enable any location to become a collaborative learning space paired with access to curriculum rich resources that will drive greater demand for digital learning.

Expect to see students seeking services such as e-tutoring, e-mentoring, and later on, e-internships, which are all focused on guiding them towards a successful career in the global economy.

Defying distance through video collaboration inside and outside of the classroom will soon be commonplace.

Marci Powell is Polycom’s global director for Education Industry Solutions and chair emerita and past president of the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA).

A former teacher, she has over 20 years’ experience in her field, with expertise in thought-leadership and strategic planning in the use of technology to address education needs.

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food & beverage Supplier Profile | Up&Go Vending Partnership Programme

Celebrating Success: Bodies not working – brains not working!

JAMES COOK HIGH SCHOOL is an amazing success story in South Auckland, making a difference for our children, making a difference for our schools and paying dividends for life. It starts with leadership from the Principal down to the students Principal Vaughan Couillault has always tried to lead by example, with a lifelong personal vision to make a difference!

The Up&Go Vending Partnership Programme is a perfect fit for the vision of James Cook High School.

Making the difference starts every morning. This morning it is an interview with Sanitarium and at the same time, with Kati, Head Girl, now in her final year at James Cook High School, who, with the help of the Principal, is putting together a Scholarship Application to apply to Massey University to start tertiary studies in 2015. A key belief and value throughout the school is that it is important to celebrate success and develop school pride within the context of a community.

Through the Up&Go Vending Partnership Programme, Mr Couillault has been very focused on promoting community partnership at James Cook High School. The media article about making a difference prompted many emails and messages of support and encouragement, including a letter and $150 cheque from a person living in Martinborough, Wairarapa and a letter and $1,000 cheque from someone living in Mt Albert, Auckland. For James Cook High School, legacy is exemplified by a large statue of James Cook, the famous explorer, in the school quad, a striking image of tradition and excellence, inspiring students about what is in store for them in the future, namely that if you are willing to make a difference then it will take sacrifice and commitment – and service.

To make a difference for its students, James Cook High School chose to direct its Partner Proceeds into Impact Projects. Mr Couillault decided from the beginning that, in order to help students out of the poverty cycle, he would take charge of making sure each student took pride in themselves and looked positively towards a successful future. Using an Education Outside the Classroom experience, Principal Vaughan turned to Impact Projects to provide an opportunity, chosen by the school, to make a difference with students: a group of rugby boys who desired to understand the concept

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Up&Go Vending Partnership Programme, which features as a healthy option for students every day. One teacher said it helped to unite the school in a big way and made everyone feel part of the community;:

of making an ‘Impact’ and needed a real life learning experience, used the Partner Proceeds from the Up&Go Vending Partnership Programme to cover the costs of going outside to learn, but there was a catch: students were asked to commit to giving back to the school, and so leave a legacy of service, by spending several weekends at the school building a retainer wall to upgrade the back sports grounds of the school! They had the best time of their lives!

Mr Couillault said James Cook High School students supported each other and shared their good news at school, whereas outside of school, Kati – Head Girl, mentioned that she did not believe this was always the case but a lot has changed for the better: ‘…Like they’ll share the good news.

They, the students, truly celebrate someone else’s success. I mean our students will now applaud. Not a touch of sarcasm or nastiness anymore.

Just straight, ‘you made it, that’s awesome!’ You know, Mr Couillault is hugely warm and supportive … I mean there are some tough family backgrounds and family issues that run in the school. Outside of the school, these students can sometimes tough it out with each other. Into the school, with Impact Projects, it is now ‘arms around the shoulders mates’. I think it is fabulous….’

A unique element of James High School is the relationship now in place with the

‘…Mr Couillault unites us. It makes you feel like we are part of the Sanitarium and the Up&Go Vending Partnership story and most importantly part of the community … I think that’s quite important, because you feel that it is now part of our school in a real way…’

The culture of James Cook High School is supported by consistent and fair school rules and consequences, good adult role models and quality staff; a whole-school and a holistic approach to education, and strong leadership.

James Cook High School has given high priority to its efforts to maintain consistency and stability within the school. Kati says: ‘…I think the children here see both men and women, in terms of our teachers here. We see them relating well. We see them laughing. We see them having fun. Students know that their teachers are very caring and concerned…’

It is a testimony to see teachers go the extra length for camps and sporting trips. Kati loves being Head Girl at James Cook High School and she thinks the Principal and the staff are very hard working and genuinely interested in teaching students: ‘….They’re a really high calibre staff.

They’re just genuine people. They’re not in it just because it’s a job. They’re in it because they love serving at the school. And they love working with the students. You know: “we’re here to learn.” All of the students here respect the staff. They earn respect every single day and they are respected….’

Kati summarised her time at James High School well, saying, in working with Mr Couillault, she can see his

personal commitment to the students: ‘…we have a wonderful leader and team at James Cook High School. We really do. They make us students their number one priority. They won’t see the children go without and even though money might be short in our community, family budget or whatever….whatever challenges we face, through the Up&Go Vending Partnership Programme the students have not gone without…

Testimonial I want to acknowledge Sanitarium Up & Go Vending in recognition of their innovative partnership with James Cook High School. Sanitarium engaged with our school in term 1, 2013, in an effort to provide a healthy, nutritious and inexpensive meal option for our students, to better prepare them to achieve throughout their school day. This has been tremendously well received and supported by our students.

James Cook High School serves an extremely low socio-economic area and having the availability for students to purchase healthy affordable food options is of huge benefit to them, and the staff. Since the installation of the vending machine there has been a noticable decline in the consumption of high sugar and fatty foods in school, which enables our students to perform to a much higher level throughout the day. We also recognise the enormous financial benefits from this programme, which have been used to assist with costs associated with co-curricular activities from proceeds received to date. Participation in such activities is a vital part of developing the whole student, but is an area that can cause financial stress for some of our families.

Sanitarium’s continued commitment to and support of our students is greatly valued and appreciated.

– V R Couillault, Principal, James Cook High School

UP&GO Breakfast in Schools Partnership Vending Programme:

No risks.

No costs.

Just partnership rebates.

Making a difference for our children, Making a difference for our schools and paying dividends for life.

For more information please contact: Fitu Ah-Young

National Key Account Manager - Schools Vending

021 864 836 fitu.ahyoung@sanitarium.co.nz

www.UPANDGOVENDING.co.nz

Gym Equipment

sports & recreation

Resistance training for school students “There is an abundance of evidence to suggest that when appropriately performed resistance training is a safe and effective exercise to be engaged by children and youth.” (ASCA1).

At HART Sport we are constantly being asked what level, and what equipment, is appropriate for school students' resistance training. The following recommendations to promote the safe and effective resistance training for children and adolescents are put forward by ASCA1.

• Prior to the commencement of resistance training all children should receive comprehensive instruction on gymnasium safety including use of collars, placing weights away correctly, correct handling and storage of dumbbells, barbells, collars and weights, appropriate spotting procedures, no playing around in the weights room etc.

• Throughout their training period youth should be instructed by competent strength and conditioning coaches, who can ensure correct lower-back lifting technique involving the adoption of the natural lumbar curve and effective use of the abdominal and lower back muscles when lifting.

• Strong muscular action from the abdominals and lower back muscles can significantly serve to reduce dangerous shear forces on the spine. Hence training of the vital musculature of the abdominals and lower

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• Level 1: Six to nine years of age: modification of body weight exercises and light resistance (brooms and bands etc.) work only for relatively high repetitions e.g. 15+ reps; • Level 2: Nine to12 years of age: 10-15 RM; (maximal loading approximately 60 per cent maximum) using predominantly simple single joint exercises with dumbbells and machine exercises where the machine is an appropriate size for the child.

...Resistance training can be effectively used to reduce the likelihood of the occurrence of sporting injuries by the development of the musculo-skeletal system and through reducing muscular imbalances.... back should be a fundamental aspect to all training programmes for children and youth through all phases of the training process.

• Technical competence in the performance of resistance training exercises is the primary focus for children and youth prior to any progression in loading or training volume.

• All individuals should adopt a standard grip whereby the thumbs are securely wrapped around the bar during all lifts where the bar is lifted above the body such as bench press.

The use of a false grip is strongly discouraged.

• The youngest a child should commence resistance training

is at six years of age provided they have the maturity to follow clear instructions and an appreciation of the dangers present when training.

• When training children and youth the long-term athletic development of the child needs to be of paramount concern and various logical progressions in the training cycle are required to be systematically imposed throughout the child’s development, which are agerelated but also muscular function dependent.

The following training loading intensities and exercise selection strategies are suggested appropriate for training children and youth:

• Level 3: 12-15 years of age: 8-15 RM; (maximal loading approximately 70 per cent maximum) using progressively more free weight exercises but avoiding complex lifts such as cleans, snatches, deadlifts and squats etc. unless competent coaching is available from a registered exercise professional.

• Level 4: 15-18 years of age: 6-15 RM; (maximal loading approximately 80 per cent maximum) progressively moving towards an advanced adult programme involving split routines where appropriate and complex multi-joint movements provided sound technique has been developed under competent coaching by a Registered Exercise Professional.

• Children and youth in the first three stages (i.e. levels 1-3) benefit most from programmes that improve body/limb control and joint stability. These programmes would also inadvertently improve other outcomes (e.g.

strength-endurance, general strength) without specific training for those outcomes.

With a solid foundation of training emphasising body/ limb/joint control and stability and technical mastery during resistance exercises, athletes entering the fourth stage (i.e.

Level 4) may more safely embrace training aimed at improving other resistance training outcomes such as strength and hypertrophy.

Resistance training can be effectively used to reduce the likelihood of the occurrence of sporting injuries by the development of the musculoskeletal system and through reducing muscular imbalances.

All programmes performed by children must be strictly coached by an adult(s) and that the adult be a registered exercise professional or strength and

conditioning specialist. Further, when supervising groups of children the ratio of coaches to children is recommended to be one coach for every 10 children.

Fitness Equipment for NZ schools

Gym Equipment

sports & recreation

Young and less experienced, school-aged resistance trainers can have their strength capabilities assessed by performing testing with lighter resistances and performing a “repetitions till fatigue� test, from which 1 RM can be extrapolated with reasonable accuracy.

By Stephen Porter, HART Sport Source: Resistance Training for Children and Adolescents: A Position Stand from the 1

Australian Strength and

Conditioning Association (ASCA). A complete copy of the presentation is available online at: strengthandconditioning.org

hartsport.co.nz Term 4 - 2014

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43

Blood Drive

health & safety

Blood drive the focus for social studies students Learning about blood and the importance of blood donation to help New Zealanders who need transfusions prompted the year 12 senior social studies students at Hillcrest High in Hamilton to focus on blood for their achievement standard this year.

Red Blood Theme Day, with a student wearing the NZ Blood suit depicting a drop of blood to create the atmosphere, and a competition was run to guess the number of jaffas in a jar.

“All the students had a role to play in the promotion,” Mr Cox says. “The target for Blood Drive Day was to fill 90 slots. We had extra pledges as back-up in case some students who had agreed to donate weren’t able to on the day.”

The standard required the students’ topic to have a focus around social sustainability and the rights and responsibilities.

“To gain the five credits they needed, the students had to become personally involved in a social action,” teacher Ryan Cox says.

“They decided to organise a blood drive at school, and they linked up with NZ Blood to help them with it. There had been a blood drive at the school previously, which was organised by a few year

of 31 students was split into groups of about five or six, with each group responsible for a particular aspect of the promotion.

Prior to Blood Drive Day, which was held on August 27, Jan Johnston, donor recruiter from New Zealand Blood Service, spoke to the class about what they needed to do, while on the day, nurses from the service took the donations.

For example, some students produced colourful posters, while others performed a skit to raise awareness. There was a

Refreshments were provided for the donors, and everyone who donated made a handprint in red paint to mark their effort.

Assistant Principal Sue Radford 13 students, but students were not so widely involved. This time the whole year 12 class decided they would organise it to get their credits, and they were very excited and enthusiastic about it.”

To promote the blood drive leading up to the event, the class

Teacher Wellbeing:

Is it time to get creative about teacher wellbeing?

One small, bright orange note placed in teachers’ cubby-holes in the staffroom was the starting place for our teacher wellbeing programme.

The note asked just four questions: Is it time that you looked after yourself? Are you absolutely shattered at the end of the week? Are you quite often sick in the holidays? Are you interested in developing some strategies to look after your ‘wellbeing’ at work?

If the answer was “Yes” to any of these questions, then the respondent was invited to attend a meeting.

Ten colleagues attended and what a moan and groan session we had! It was a chance to air our stresses and concerns.

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...Many schools already have a few events a term to give teachers a boost, so have a think about extending this to become more frequent each term...

After an hour, everyone had had a chance to talk and then the room went silent as we realised we all knew the problems, but what were we going to do about it? We decided to develop some simple and practical wellbeing and morale-raising themes and strategies that we could adopt each week and promote to all staff at the college.

Every Monday, the new topic for the week is showcased either verbally by a senior leader, by email with links to an article or video clip, bright paper resources

in cubby holes or in other creative ways.

We wanted it to be a long-lasting programme, not just a one-year wonder and, with regular annual reviews, we have managed to keep the programme fresh and fun. Feedback is always a vital component of any new initiative and in our first year, 2012, the school received positive praise for the rollout of our teacher wellbeing programme from ERO, during our whole school review.

In 2013, the programme received recognition through the Heart

Ian Vickers Assistant Principal, Sancta Maria College, Auckland

Foundation and HAPINZ national workplace wellness awards, taking out the ‘Innovation Award’, which was very pleasing when we were compared with a large number of businesses and industries nationwide.

In 2014, our wellbeing programme got the thumbs up from the teachers here at the college, as part of a comprehensive independent survey undertaken about all aspects of school life.

Our wellbeing programme received the highest rating across a wide range of categories and with nearly 90 per cent of the staff content that they had a good work-life balance. Very pleasing news indeed!

So, do you feel empowered to start some discussions this term with a few like-minded colleagues?

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health & safety Blood Drive

Alyssa English & Danni Braun “The drive was a great success with the 90 slots being filled,” Mr Cox says.

“But the day was just part of the achievement standard requirements. There was also a written component, for which the students had to evaluate the

whole process and write their ‘reflections’. These included what they had done and why, and their rights and responsibilities. At the end of it, most of the students got their credits.

“The students also learnt real life stories about people who needed

Class member Ethan Pugh blood transfusions, and they shared these stories at the school assembly. “We did a review of the whole process and the kids all said they loved the experience.

And they were thrilled that their efforts were rewarded when they received the trophy from NZ Blood

for the best school blood drive, which we heard about in October,” Mr Cox says.

“We’ll do the blood drive every year now as part of the year 12 social studies programme.”

By Christine de Felice, Staff Reporter

Term 4 - 2014

school news

45

Grounds Maintenance

property

Ride-on mowers designed to meet school requirements Tasked with keeping school turf in tip-top condition, many caretakers have to regularly deal with complex grass areas, which means 20 to 30 per cent of all general cutting costs are often tied to trimming, hillside cutting, walk-behind mowing or smaller ride‐on trimming.

This results in lower productivity and increased labour costs, which can lead to reduced revenue.

The reason is most machines are not designed for that type of work. The Husqvarna P500 series commercial front mowers, the P524 and P525D, are designed for it, with manoeuvrability, hillside stability and compact size being some of their most important and appreciated features.

These three aspects will continue to define Husqvarna as the next generation of products is launched. The Husqvarna P524 and P525D don’t replace the previous machines – they broaden the range and introduce an even more flexible platform.

The result: front mowers with intuitive operation and a new standard for close trimming, which are perfect for narrow spaces that would normally force an operator to go back and forth to reposition the machine and avoid obstructions.

“Several competitors offer large, effective front mowers, which are great if the area that you’re working on is big, perfectly even and obstacle free,” commercial training and after sales manager Anthony Barry says.

“The reality is that isn’t often the case. The P500 series commercial front mowers are able to cover both big areas and more complex spaces with slopes and tight corners. That’s what the customers need and

that has influenced every step of the development process.”

The secret lies in a unique dog‐ bone solution that links the front of the mower to the rear axle, he says. When you turn, the wheels in the back swing in underneath the machine, allowing you to make more advanced manoeuvres around corners, trees and bushes.

“Our patent-pending unique ‘dog‐bone’ articulated steering function has a dynamic weight

transfer, which instantly affects the machine’s centre of gravity. To the operator that means increased traction on the front inner wheel when needed, improved handling and immediate response.”

The word unique can sometimes seem cliché, he says, but when it comes to the design of the cutting decks on these mowers, this really is the case. The inside of the robust combi deck has been stamped out of one solid,

Teacher Wellbeing: 44 Have a think about what you could do in your school to start a culture of improving teacher wellbeing and morale. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best.

It most certainly doesn’t need to be weekly themed but find a format that can be sustained over time, that fits your school culture and ethos, that colleagues will be happy to ‘buy in’ to and one that is fun and refreshing. Many

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Term 4 - 2014

schools already have a few events a term to give teachers a boost, so have a think about extending this to become more frequent each term.

Could this be an opportunity to develop a cluster group with neighbouring schools and to share wellbeing tips and new morale-boosting initiatives? What happens if some teachers are not interested? This is not a problem.

You cannot force anyone to get

involved. Some themes and events will interest some and not others, but having a go and making a start is the important aspect here. One school I know started a wellbeing programme with just four teachers. They planned a few events each term, had heaps of fun and lots of laughs and a then a few other teachers wanted to get involved.

Over time it has grown and developed and now the principal

is on board, a culture of positive wellbeing for the teachers is now firmly in place. So, why not take that first step. Will the bright orange note placed in cubbyholes work at your place?

Ian is keen to hear from you about your school teacher wellbeing plans and programme. He is also happy to share the wellbeing resources that are used at his college, as a possible starter point for your school. Email: i.vickers@sanctamaria.school.nz.

property Grounds Maintenance

4.5mm-thick piece of metal to optimise air flow, which is the main reason for its high efficiency.

Smooth arches, without welded seams that cause clogging, force every piece of grass to pass the blades repeatedly. The result is mulching, with only a finely chopped layer of grass left behind.

The P500 series mowers also feature ergonomic solutions, focusing just as much on the driver as on performance. The machines have great stability and balance, thanks to a low centre of gravity, and their compact size and articulated steering ensures full command at all times. To avoid interfering with driving, the control panel is placed on the right-hand side, complemented by ergonomic pedals that ensure instant and precise speed control. The specially sculpted,

highly comfortable driver’s seat makes long days behind the wheel feel a lot shorter.

For schools with smaller areas to maintain, the Husqvarna PZT54 offers a more compact mowing solution, and an opportunity to increase productivity without breaking the bank.

“Over recent years, economic and climatic conditions have affected operating costs for a number of New Zealand schools and as a result, they have made do with existing equipment when they would ordinarily look to upgrade,” Mr Barry says.

“The new PZT54 has been introduced to give lawn-care professionals and schools the chance to increase their fleet of mowers at an affordable price and still get the high performance they expect from Husqvarna.”

Built to withstand commercial applications, the PZT54 features a rugged 5x7.5cm steel tube style frame for structural strength and heavy-duty front caster assemblies with tapered roller bearings on wheels and pivots to ensure longevity. The 54inch side-discharge fabricated cutting deck is constructed from twin 10-gauge steel sheet construction, which equates to a quarter-inch-thick top deck area for added structure and spindle support. Cast aluminum blade spindles feature tapered roller bearing construction for increased service life and the top idler system ensures extended belt life. The cutting deck also includes heavy-duty scalp roller mounts and a rubber discharge shield.

To meet the reliability and performance expectation of the

ground drive system, the new PZT54 utilises commercial-grade, integrated ZT3400 transmissions with 12cc pumps. This allows for smooth operation, speeds of up to 16km/hr and reduced risk of hose and fitting leaks. The integrated design also creates a cleaner and wider open area under the seat, improving access to service points.

On the comfort side, the PZT54 has been designed with careful control placement, ergonomic adjustable steering levers and a fully adjustable seat, to allow the unit to be tailored for any user. The Roll Over Protection System (ROPS) comes as standard equipment, increasing operator safety and has the added benefit of a folding design to allow easy access under low hanging branches and simple transportation.

Professional lawn mowing has never been easier.

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