School News - NZ, Term, 2018

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What’s In This Issue

| INSIDE

ISSN 1178-9964

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schoolnews Term 1 - 2018

Another year, another term, brand-new School News! Welcome back to the industry after what was hopefully a somewhat relaxing holiday period!

We are hitting the ground running this year, with some A+ stories from our wonderful contributors and featured editorial coordinator for this issue, Paddy Whittle. He expertly carried on the mantle from Anna Clements, approaching industry topics with insightful and intriguing new angles.

In particular, flick to page 40 and have a chuckle reading his terrific ‘exposé’ on oh-too-familiar education jargon. On page 38 you can find his take on learning management systems; page 46 features his exclusive interview with a performing arts school on the ‘life-skilling’ aspect of teaching performance; and beginning on page 52, we have a bumper batch of articles on STEAM, which many of you will be pleased to hear includes the ‘Arts’ in an otherwise numeric-centered STEM approach to critical thinking.

They discussed the role of technology in creative schooling; the duality of constraint and innovation; how to get teachers to share expertise; the importance of judgement; and more.

Dilworth School features in the Principal Speaks column on page 14. Here, Donald MacLean says that his students receive “an education like no other” and tells us how the school is transforming boys’ lives. The school’s founders had a special vision, he explains, that included a trust, which now provides up to 640 scholarships per year.

Alice Patrick returns this issue to discuss ‘Kapa haka in mainstream schools’ and talk specifically about the benefits for non-Māori students (page 41). Dr Hinekura Smith then talks to us about marae-ā-kura and the opportunities they create on page 43.

Ever wondered what the life of a school sewing machine looks like? Sacred Heart College takes us through the nitty-gritty on page 44, with fashion and design teacher Amber MacIntosh sharing how these machines are best used to ground students in their sewing skills.

Suzy Barry had a fascinating conversation with Sir Ken Robinson, which you can read in-full on page 11 this issue.

Thank you for your continued readership and as always, we hope you enjoy the Term 1 Issue of School News.

news 06 Ministry News 08 News Round-Up

43 marae-ā-kura: School marae and ‘success as Māori’

education 11 Special Report – Sir Ken Robinson: The future of schools lies in questioning status quo 14 Principal Speaks – Dilworth School: an education unlike any other education unlike any other 16 Opinion TEL: Technology Enhanced Learning for both teachers and students 18 Dyslexia: Change is afoot with dyslexia 20 Dyslexia: My strategies for success profiles 21 Profiles – Queen Margaret College: A new house and a new home what's hot 24 What's Hot: The latest trending education industy products food & beverage 26 Outsourcing School Lunches: Making school lunch the healthy highlight of the day administration 30 Fundraising: Ideas to engage busy parents 34 Furniture for the MLE: Creating the right environment for modern teaching and learning 38 Learning Management Systems: The power and potential of Learning Management Systems teacher's desk 40 Education Jargon: But what does it actually mean? teaching resources 41 Kapa Haka: Kapa haka in mainstream schools – Benefits for non-Māori students

44 Case Study – Sacred Heart College: The life of a sewing machine at Sacred Heart College 46 Theatre, Musicals and the Stage: Life skills centre stage with high school performance 50 Online Literacy: Online and on-task with reading and writing 52 STEM: Full STEAM ahead for 21st century citizens 58 Smart Classrooms: Advice for modern classroom design? Get smart 61 Book Reviews 62 Broadcast streaming: A sign of things to come L.E.O.T.C. 64 School Ski Trips: The downhill highlight of the whole school year 66 School Excursions: They'll want to remember this... sports & recreation 70 Sports Excursions and In-School Visits: The wider benefits of physical activites in schools health & safety 72 SunSmart Schools: Smarter practices when out in the sun property 73 Nature Play: Why getting children into nature matters 74 Nature Play: A healthy school is a happy schoolis a well-maintained school 76 Outsourcing School Maintenance: A healthy school is a happy school is a well-maintained school

Key - For easy perusal Commercial supplier profile or supplier case study Supplier information or content Suppliers share their views in one-off, topical pieces General editorial. Case studies and features may cite or quote suppliers, please be aware that we have a strict ‘no commercial content’ guideline for all magazine editorial, so this is not part of any commercial advertorial but may be included as relevant opinion. Happy reading!

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NEWS |

Ministry News

‘Manky’ bread teaches coughs & sneezes spread diseases A “manky as” slice of mouldy bread was one innovative (and graphic) means to show how illness spreads for a Wellington teacher on the Science Teaching Leadership Programme.

Matt Boucher, a teacher at South Wellington Intermediate School, spent two terms last year following scientists around at work at the University of Otago’s Wellington campus, which is associated with Wellington Regional Hospital, as part of the programme.

After meeting scientists from the Infectious Diseases team who were passionate about informing the public about antibiotic resistance, he saw an opportunity to get the message out to students. Together they came up with the idea of a poster competition as the outcome of a learning topic on antibiotics and hygiene.

As part of the learning process, an experiment involving pieces of bread was used to graphically illustrate the mechanisms influencing the spread of illness.

One slice was put in a sealed

06

schoolnews Term 1 - 2018

plastic bag while wearing sterile gloves; another was handled with washed hands before being sealed up; and the third slice was passed around and touched by everybody in the class.

After a week, the glove-handled piece looked untouched; the one touched by clean hands had some mould growing on it; and the third was “manky as”, Matt said.

The Science Teaching Leadership Programme, run by the Royal Society Te Apārangi, provides opportunities for teachers to enhance their knowledge, improve their confidence in teaching science, and build links to scientists in the community and the organisations they work for.

Kiwi and Aussie principals exchange experience and ideas A school leaders’ exchange programme has provided two principals from either side of the Tasman the opportunity to develop and learn, and stay fresh in their thinking.

Janice Gulbransen from Nayland Primary School, Nelson, and Chris Roberts from Streaky Bay Area School, South Australia,

who recently took part in the South Australia and New Zealand Principal Exchange, said it offered a unique professional development experience.

Janice and Chris spent four weeks observing each other at their own schools. According to Janice: “Shadowing Chris made me think about the decisions I make and why I make them, as well as being able to question Chris on how and why he makes his decisions.”

The impact of size and geography on school life was also one of many eye-openers. Nayland Primary School is in central Nelson and its Kāhui Ako schools are within 5km of each other.

In Streaky Bay Area School, by contrast, some students come from a 60–80km radius and they take four buses to get to school; in addition, the Streaky Bay equivalent to Kāhui Ako are within 300km of each other.

For Janice, this provided “a better appreciation of the geographical challenges area schools face and what a long day it can be for a lot of students and staff.”

Both Chris and Janice agreed that an open mind was critical to their learning experience and that the exchange provided excellent leadership development. They also said they would recommend other principals apply for the exchange.

Commitment to reducing child poverty lauded The Government’s targets for reducing child poverty and hardship have been welcomed by teachers and others in the education system.

The proposed Child Poverty Reduction Bill will establish in law several measures of poverty and set future governments three- and ten-year targets to reduce it.

According to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, the targets “will make a substantial difference for children”.

“Most significantly, by targeting reductions in the rate of children in low income households and hardship (not just the number) we are committing to keeping the rates low over time, rather than

Ministry News

| NEWS

REPLACE YOUR OLD GYM FLOOR WITH A LAYER OF MAGIC included reducing the proportion of children:

NZEI Te Riu Roa President Lynda Stuart said teachers saw the effects of poverty on children’s education and general well-being every day at school. National and global studies documented clear links between poverty and educational outcomes for children, Ms Stuart said, and any moves to reduce child poverty were “long overdue”.

•

in low income households (before housing costs calculated) from roughly 15 percent of all children to 5 percent or from 160,000 children to 60,000

•

in low income households (after housing costs calculated) from roughly 20 percent to 10 percent or from 210,000 children to 120,000

The Ministry of Education would therefore be one of the crucial agencies involved in implementing the policy, whose ten-year targets

•

in material hardship from 13-15 percent to 7 percent or from 150,000 children to 80,000.

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NEWS |

News Round-Up

Online bibliography of writing

by Māori in English launched Commissioner Andrew Becroft said. "They have the right to have a say, and have their views heard in decisions that affect them.

Children’s views always add value and improve services.”

According to the report, children and young people “have a great sense of hope for what education can offer them”.

University of Canterbury researchers (from left to right) Tiana Ratana, Bridget Underhill, Jeanette King and Christopher Thomson have collaborated to create Kōmako, the world’s most comprehensive, online, annotated bibliography of writing by Māori in English.

Students and teachers of Māori culture are set to benefit from a comprehensive, online, annotated – and free – bibliography of writing by Māori in English.

The Kōmako website covers more than 180 years of writing and can be used both as a tool for those researching Māori writing and as a vehicle for the continued updating and inclusion of new works, said the project’s lead editor, Dr Bridget Underhill (Ngāti Raukawa) from the University of Canterbury.

The publicly accessible project, which covers more than 1450 authors, gathers together “the great treasury of writing by Māori,” Dr Underhill said.

“This bibliography is part of a movement to reclaim the Māori literary tradition, which has had a history of being marginalised,” she said. “[It] shows the wide range of Māori writing – fiction, non-fiction and traditional Māori genres – and makes many lesser known writers more visible.”

According to UC Digital Humanities lecturer Dr Christopher Thomson, the Kōmako database and website “has been designed for everyone to search and browse, and is a living document which we hope to update and expand”.

08

schoolnews Term 1 - 2018

A child’s eye view of education matters To improve education outcomes, input from the people it affects most directly is vital, a new education report argues, and this means listening to children and young people.

The report Education matters to me: Key insights, commissioned by the New Zealand School Trustees Association and the Children’s Commissioner, summarised responses from over 1600 children and young people to questions about what was important to them about their education, and what being at school was like for them.

“Children and young people across a diverse range of engagement groups spoke about three key factors, which they require to have a successful experience in education. These were: a great teacher, a supportive and involved family, and friends.”

Of these factors, “having a great teacher was the most important thing highlighted by children and young people”.

"Children and young people care deeply about their education and how it prepares them for their future lives,” Mr Becroft said. "It is time for everyone, especially in education, to be more deliberate and purposeful in how we incorporate children’s views and opinions when making decisions that affect them."

Understand me in my whole world

2.

People at school are racist towards me

3.

Relationships mean everything to me

4.

Teach me the way I learn best

5.

I need to be comfortable before I can learn

6.

It’s my life - let me have a say

"Children and young people are experts on their own experiences in education", Children’s

Associate professors Christoph Bartneck and Elena Moltchanova, from the University of Canterbury, have proved that the seemingly simple toys are becoming larger and more complicated by datamining 10,953 sets ranging over 60 years.

“We have been able to mathematically prove how the LEGO sets have changed,” Prof Bartneck said.

“Starting with a simple set of basic bricks, their range of toys has increased in complexity over the years. We processed the inventories of most sets from 1955 to 2015 and our analysis showed that LEGO sets have become bigger, more colourful and more specialised,” he said. “The increased complexity of LEGO sets and bricks enables skilled builders to design ever more amazing models but it may also overwhelm less skilled or younger builders.”

According to Prof Bartneck, the study was “an interesting example for data mining and applied statistics”.

Recent NZ research proves building blocks anything but simple

So next time you think young students are taking it easy by playing with plastic bricks, think again.

You might think that nothing would be more straightforward than the simple building blocks

Preparing for driving tests, virtually

The six key insights of children and young people were: 1.

has increased in complexity over the years.

Associate Professor Christoph Bartneck (right).

beloved of generations of younger school children. Yet the latest New Zealand research shows that LEGO, the most famous of the plastic brick toys on the market,

The NZ Transport Agency and ACC have launched a virtual reality (VR) experience to prepare young drivers for practical tests.

Five hours of free professional driving lessons, a free defensive driving course, and free learner’s and restricted licence tests for all senior students was a preelection proposal by the Labour Government as part of a ‘School Leaver Toolkit’.

The new VR experience was an interactive drive through real New Zealand streets to help users spot hazards, check blind spots, and use mirrors — all from a virtual driver’s seat. The free app was available on iOS and Android.

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NEWS |

News Round-Up

The nationwide NZEI Te Riu Roa survey of 288 new educators found that many were disillusioned and exhausted by the high workload, low pay and substandard mentoring support.

NZEI President Lynda Stuart said teachers needed time to teach, and to be paid as the professionals they were.

“This is truly a world-first in driver education,” ACC Road Injury Prevention Manager Simon Gianotti said.

The most difficult group of drivers to reach were males aged 18 and 19, and they’re also some of the most at risk of serious injury.

“We spoke to hundreds of young Kiwis and we know that many of them feel daunted by practical driving tests. We also know drivers who are better at spotting hazards are safer drivers.”

While nothing replaced real life practice, the VR experience

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schoolnews Term 1 - 2018

New teachers disillusioned and overworked - survey A survey of primary and ECE teachers in the first few years of their career has found that 17 percent expect to leave the profession within five years of graduating.

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“These new teachers should be full of hope and energy, but they’re already burning out, and seeing far less qualified friends leap ahead in their salaries,” Ms Stuart said. “It’s no wonder that it’s a struggle to get people into teaching and keep them there.”

Those looking to exit teaching said the thing most likely to keep them in the profession was less paperwork and administration, higher pay, smaller class sizes, more support for high-needs learners, and better mentoring and support.

Special Report – Sir Ken Robinson

| EDUCATION

The future of schools lies in questioning status quo In teaching circles, Sir Ken Robinson may be most famous for his TED talk Do Schools Kill Creativity?, as well as his ongoing campaign to make education more relevant, interesting and productive for children.

On March 21st and 22nd, Sir Ken will host a variety of sessions and give a keynote speech at the National FutureSchools Expo and Conferences, where educators from all over Australasia will converge at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre to be inspired by the best in educational leadership, innovation and technology in Foundation – Year 13 schooling.

While we all wait for March, School News has connected with Sir Ken for his take on the future of education: what we should change, what to hang on to, and how teachers and principals can transform learning for their 21st century learners – so schooling in Australasia is meaningful, fulfilling and relevant.

Sir Ken has often said, “teaching is an art form, not a delivery system” and with more educators turning to ‘clinical teaching’ (the process of overlaying clinical practice onto teaching practice to assess and ensure teaching practices have an impact), it seemed pertinent to ask Sir Ken if there’s room in creative teaching for science and art.

“We make too much of a difference between science and art,” he replied. “It’s often assumed that to be a teacher you just need a good degree in whatever it is you are being paid to teach, but it’s simply not true, it was never true.”

He says, while “a great teacher obviously knows their material”, the real skill is “engaging people in the material” and “firing up their imaginations”.

“Great teachers are like great doctors or lawyers. They have a whole reparatory of skills; techniques and approaches, and a lot of experience, but the real

One of the consequences of having such a narrow view of ability in this testing mania is that it generates a very wide perception of inability.”

skill is knowing which skill to apply where, and how to adapt it to the people in front of you.”

He added that great teaching is about “judgement and connoisseurship”, and while gathering relevant data means “you can be objective about what you’re doing”, he posited that education “has become far too data driven”, sidelining teachers’ judgements.

“It’s like a medical examination happening with data being generated, while the patient is dying on the table. You need to make sense of the data, so you can apply it to the situation you’re confronted with - here and now.”

Sir Ken says he doesn’t see instruction as a separate science.

He said, “there are elements of teaching that can be learned that are skilful and informed by experience and information, but it shouldn’t be reduced to some sort of algorithm”.

Sir Ken is not against all forms of standardised testing.

“There are some areas where it’s perfectly legitimate, like with language learning.

“There are all sorts of things that go on in schools that depend on human contact. Contact with individual teachers, your interaction within the school community, and your links with the

broader community. None of them is more important than another.

“Having a rich curriculum and having expert, well supported teachers; having informed assessment, and having links with the greater community is what makes a great school.”

Sir Ken often speaks about “organic systems” being key for situations involving people.

“Education is more like gardening than manufacturing: the thing is that gardeners know that there are conditions under which plants flourish and that’s true of all human communities - what it comes to is the culture of the place.”

Creative schooling: the wider view Sir Ken maintains that his approach to education is neither hypothesis nor theory: “I’m simply describing what happens to be the case when you go into schools. If there’s a rich curriculum, if there’s interactive teaching, if there are close links with the community, kids flourish. If they’re sitting at desks all day having the life tested out of them, they don’t.”

So, what can be done?

He suggests persuading policy makers, “who are setting the tone from above” that “standardised

– Sir Ken Robinson

testing, narrowing the curriculum and imposing more conformity are actually counter-productive in their own terms” must be part of the discourse to influence the political conversation.

“A lot of things get in the way of students and teachers realising their potential: one is the great pressure of testing, and there’s every reason to push back. One of the reasons I wrote my new book, You, Your Child and School, is because parents are disaffected about testing and they are pushing back too - and I’m keen to encourage them because it’s counterproductive and doesn’t serve anybody.”

While the cogs turn at the usual pace of an institutionalised system, I wondered how school leaders can support teachers within their own micro-society to enact the ‘education revolution’. Sir Ken began with defining the difference between learning, education and school.

“Children love learning; they learn voraciously. They don’t all get on with education and some of them have a bad time with school. The difference is that learning is a natural process of acquiring skills and understanding; education is a more organised approach to learning, a more formal approach very often; and school is a community of learners.”

Term 1 - 2018 schoolnews

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EDUCATION |

Special Report – Sir Ken Robinson

differently. It’s about being prepared to make mistakes and try things out on the basis of trial and error, which is how innovation works.

“It’s not about commanding control; it’s about climate control.

If you’re able to set a different series of boundaries in schools and give people permission to try things, they will.

Building innovative culture: ‘ask forgiveness, not permission’ “We’ve come to think of schools as particular sorts of places, with their own habits and rituals and routines, but schools don’t have to be the way we think they are.

“There are all kinds of institutional habits and expectations that have gathered around schools, which are often obstructing learning and stifling the enthusiasm and curiosity on which great education depends.

“Principals have a great opportunity - I know there are often oppressive political pressures on schools, but as

well as pushing back against some of these harmful pressures, there’s also room for change within schools – even within the systems. A lot of what goes on in schools isn’t mandated; it’s just habit. And if we start to reimagine how schools work, you tend to see bigger improvements in the quality of teaching and learning than otherwise.”

He added that the marginalisation of programmes in arts and humanities, PE and even playtime “in the interest of high stakes testing obsession” has resulted in “impoverished culture in education, which deteriorates people’s enthusiasm for learning”.

“There’s an awful lot that principals can do to rectify

that, by looking at the balance of education and by getting to teachers to collaborate across disciplines.”

Sir Ken said, “change always happens from the ground up; it happens in real places with real people,” and he says principals can set the tone in their organisations to “shift the zeitgeist”. So how does this look in practice? He explained that culture is about permission: it’s about ‘what’s ok’ and ‘what isn’t’ and in some schools, leaders are facilitating a school culture where innovation is encouraged, “despite the prevailing political climate”.

“It’s happening because the leadership of the school is allowing people to try things

“There’s a lot of creative energy in schools that we are not tapping into, and if we start from the premise of ‘schools as a community of learners’ and then decide what type of community it should be, we can strip away things that may be preventing it being that way, because they are mainly conventions we’ve become used to, they’re not laws that we have to obey.”

A case for collaboration As an advocate of collaborative teaching, Sir Ken says there’s plenty to be gained from eschewing the strict demarcation between disciplines in high school and pooling expertise.

He admitted that “people get the shivers when you talk about collaboration because they think it automatically means ‘team teaching’, which it may or may not”, but he argued that “outside of schools, most collaborative work normally comes from people crossing disciplines and sharing expertise”.

“My experiences have shown me that, in education, the more people get to understand each other’s disciplines, the more fertile and productive the conversation tends to become. There are lots of ways that joint projects and cross-disciplinary work can excite the imagination of teachers and students alike.”

If it’s hard to conceptualise how cross-discipline collaboration could possibly work, Sir Ken reminds us that when great things have been achieved, there has always been collective effort from people with diverse expertise.

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schoolnews Term 1 - 2018

Special Report – Sir Ken Robinson

| EDUCATION

More importantly, these achievements have always been accomplished under “constraints” that were “accepted” and worked around. He reasoned that back when Kennedy committed the USA to putting a man on the moon by decade’s end, “nobody said, ‘Mr President, can you just move the moon a bit closer?”

“All innovation happens within constraints. Whether you’re writing a poem in iambic pentameter or building a bridge that spans a gorge, there are constraints. In education there are constraints, but that shouldn’t lead us to believe that there are no options other than the way we do things now and collaboration is one of the ways of overcoming them.”

He says another way is to cross age boundaries: “We tend to think, in schools, that we need to keep kids in segregated age groups, but we don’t do this anywhere else.

Outside of schools, age groups mix naturally.”

“The third way is to look at the timetable. It tends to create a set of railway lines across the day, which people find hard to get off.

It’s an arbitrary system that we divide the day up into 50-minute periods, punctuated by bells. We don’t need to do any of that; there are better ways of organising people’s time. In fact, we have the technology to give everyone an individual time table.”

The role of technology in creative schooling An article on the future of schools is bereft without the mention of technology and Sir Ken said, “there’s no question the internet is transforming education”. He identified Wikipedia as a fantastic resource. Far from the days and hours he spent at the library as a student, he says people now enjoy access to a rapidly growing culturally inclusive global encyclopaedia; “a collaborative enterprise, which is coalescing all that we understand and know, as a species”.

He acknowledged it contains errors, but said, “there are mistakes in most books and newspapers and the thing about Wikipedia is that it is selfsearching, self-analysing and ruthlessly self-correcting”.

“The downside is the vast ocean of nonsense out there,” he conceded.

“There was a time when it was straightforward: some people wrote, there were some publishers and most people read what other people had written, it was oneway traffic.”

“Now, everyone is a publisher, writer and producer; everyone’s a consumer, and that’s good; everyone has potentially got a voice. The down side is people have to be even more ruthless in separating truth from nonsense.

“That’s a big role for schools, it’s not enough to throw people at the internet and say, ‘go research something’. It’s even more important that we remain critical and use our sense of judgement.

“The other big issue is the miasma of social media – it’s a complete misnomer - it’s an ironic title because they’re not social, for the most part. They’re antisocial.

“Print and television was the same. There’s always a down side to mass communication, but the trick is to take control of them and to be moderate in how we use them. The answer is not to shy away from it, to just ignore the internet and technology would be ridiculous, but we do need strategies to help kids get the best of them and not get lost in them,” he advised.

A year ago, I asked Sugata Mitra

what he thought we should keep from the old system, and he suggested the “memory of an incredibly primitive past” would suffice. Sir Ken was more positive: “There are great schools and wonderful teachers working in them, and kids who go to these schools and love and enjoy them.”

Sir Ken’s own schooling was a roaring success, but he has often attributed that to the individualised attention he received and his suitability to academic learning.

He said, “I’m not arguing against any sort of academic work, it’s been wonderful for many, including me; it’s been a liberation”.

“The education system has been populated by people who have been wonderfully dedicated, often very gifted, and have transformed the lives of millions of people - but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be improved or that the political pressures on the schools are justified.”

So, it’s not a matter of throwing out the baby with the bathwater?

“No, but it’s about finding out what the baby is, and what it is we are trying to protect,” he counselled.

Students of design at a university level are often introduced to a book called The Metric Handbook, which covers how body dimensions relate to ergonomics.

The book covers how the bell curve is employed to determine standardised dimensions for items like tables and chairs, door height and width and so on. So how do we decide what size a ‘standard’ chair will be? Or a ‘standard’ sized school chair, more pertinently?

It’s based on the bell curve, and the result is that a small cluster

of people feels comfortable in their seats. The clusters on either side are uncomfortable, but they manage to cope, though not necessarily enjoy their time in the chair; and for the outliers, it’s a disaster.

What actually happens when education is designed using the same statistical approach? Does our education system only serve a small cluster of academically minded students? That is, those who are gifted both in the synthesis of large amounts of information and the forms of output that are typically tested; and are of a temperament that can manage large stints of desk work?

If so, what happens to the second group? They might be called the coasters – they cruise along under the radar, manage the work, stay out of trouble. They survive schooling, but do they thrive? The outliers: these might be our ‘high/ frequent flyers’, our drop-outs, and our sufferers of anxiety and mental illness, or even victims of suicide.

Sir Ken says part of the problem is that we’re working on a deficit model. “One of the consequences of having such a narrow view of ability in this testing mania is that it generates a very wide perception of inability.”

“Truthfully, I’ve never encountered anyone in my life who doesn’t have special needs, (some of them are social, some are psychological, and some are physical) - and the sooner we recognise this, the more healthy and humanitarian our education systems are likely to be.”

By Suzy Barry, Industry Reporter Term 1 - 2018 schoolnews

13

EDUCATION |

Principal Speaks – Dilworth School

A short history

Dilworth School: an education unlike any other Dilworth School is based in Auckland and is like no other school or indeed educational facility in New Zealand or the world.

Such a bold statement needs teasing out and much of Dilworth School uniqueness and special character relates to the life and times of the founders, James and Isabella Dilworth. The Dilworth Trust currently provides up to 640 scholarships per year, at an average cost of $35,000 per student per year. This all stems from the original bequest of James Dilworth, whose vision became the reality that is now Dilworth School.

Dilworth today – transforming boys’ lives In 2018, Dilworth is a single school that operates on three separate campuses: Junior Years 5 to 8, Year 9 (Rural at Mangatawhiri), and Senior Years 10 to 13.

Dilworth provides an all-round education for young men from disadvantaged backgrounds to live, learn, play sport, develop their performing skills and be nurtured pastorally and spiritually in a fully funded, modern boarding school environment. In short, the criteria each boy is selected on is family need and suitability for boarding – that is, the ability for a young man to live harmiously in close proximity with others.

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schoolnews Term 1 - 2018

The aim is to provide a wraparound care and education package for each individual student. There are now 640 full time boarders on a Dilworth Scholarship. There are no day students, and the school roll is made up of students from many parts of the North Island, not just the Auckland isthmus.

The pastoral care and welfare of boys are vital to their success in many other areas of life, not least academic achievement, and this is a significant focus for staff and resourcing. Many of our students are helped in their own personal lives to come to terms with family loss, difficulties relating to financial circumstances, and, in particular, the need for people from all backgrounds to work and live well and positively together.

The school continues to follow the principles laid down in The Dilworth Will, recognising that many of these are as relevant today as they were 112 years ago, but also acknowledging that times are changing fast, and the school must be forward looking as well as historically reflective, to make sure students are fully equipped for life in a challenging, fast changing, technological age.

Rural Campus – Te Haerenga The establishment of the Rural Campus (Te Haerenga) in 2012 for Year 9 boys was an example of

James Dilworth was born in Northern Ireland in August 1815. He was chosen by a relative, who was responsible for his upbringing, to travel across the world with some of her money in the hope of adding to this this for himself and possibly his extended family.

The young Dilworth was educated at The Royal School in Dungannon and then, after a few years working in banking, he departed County Tyrone for Australia. A short time later, in 1841, he arrived in Auckland and decided to settle there, purchasing land, developing his business interests and occasionally bringing out other members of his family.

In 1853 James Dilworth married Isabella Hall, the daughter of another family of Ulster-born settlers. James

vision and adapting to the needs of young men by ensuring the Dilworth journey encompassed allround life skills. Approximately 100 Year 9 boys live in a rural setting (Mangatawhiri, 60 minute drive from Auckland CBD) where, as well as completing the Year 9 academic curriculum, boys are also provided with real opportunities to live, work, and actively contribute to their environment. And a beautiful environment it is!

Boys live in cabins of ten and are responsible for their own needs and of others.

Managing oneself includes: operating a washing machine;

James Dilworth

and Isabella had no children of their own. Consequently, when he died in December 1894, his Will left the bulk of his considerable wealth in trust to establish a school for boys – “orphans, the sons of widows, or the sons of persons of good character, and of any race, in straitened circumstances” – so that they might be educated to become “good and useful” members of society.

cleaning the toilet; chopping firewood; working in the kitchen to ensure the community is well fed; outdoor educational opportunities which involve leading others; teamwork and basic bush survival.

It is an appropriately challenging environment but exceptionally wellresourced, with qualified teachers and outdoor instructors.

A multi-cultural school Given the criteria in the Will of “straitened circumstances”, it is not surprising that the school is multi-cultural, with an ethnic diversity that enriches the whole community.

Principal Speaks – Dilworth School

Whilst all students must be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents, the roll reflects the developing diversity in New Zealand society, and in particular groups who are underachieving in social and financial terms as well as in school and tertiary participation and achievement.

The roll is a positive and energetic mix of Pakeha, Maori, Pasifika, Asian, African and non-NZ Europeans. Students’ backgrounds are celebrated, but they themselves talk about “the brotherhood”, which transcends distinctions of race and ethnicity. Given the way our world is developing – as a global village – this dimension of the school strengthens the opportunities for our students to become well adjusted and accepting of others as adults.

Despite the disadvantages, Dilworth students from traditionally underperforming groups in New Zealand society perform significantly above national averages across all levels of NCEA, and retention of students, as well as moves to further education and training is the norm for our leavers.

Dilworth boasts a former Governor General, Sir David Beattie; a Prime

this environment is tremendous.

Boarding ensures we have a captive audience, where boys (and staff) can focus on nurturing all-round talents, rather than contending with outside pressures that so many young people have to contend with, such as holding down an after-school job to support the family or attending multiple schools and frequently moving house.

One of our core beliefs, in a fatherless society, is addressing the needs of boys, both inside and outside the classroom. The captive audience nature of boarding also ensures that ‘our boys’ have a sense of order and routine.

Minister Honourable Mike Moore; several Members of Parliament and a number of distinguished leaders in business, education, medicine, sports and culture.

Boarding and boys education

One boy captured this for me succinctly and appropriately when asked what he enjoyed about Dilworth. His response “I know what’s happening tomorrow”.

Dilworth provides a stark contrast for many young men, whose daily lives are complicated and stressful.

The sense of particular respect and pride that students feel in their school community is undoubtedly enhanced by the fact that all are boarders. The ability to effect change and development in

What else works for boys and helps them to flourish? Boarding again.

We ensure the boys are well fed, sufficient sleep, regular attendance at school, plenty of personal and playground space, regular chapel

| EDUCATION

and assemblies, small classroom sizes and a contemporary uniform all adds to that sense of belonging and nurture.

Maximum participation is expected, whether it is sporting and cultural activities, or spiritual matters.

Competition is also a driving force for young men and I derive great joy as a leader to see young men enjoy the performing arts in equal measure with sport.

A number of our rugby players at the Senior Campus, competing in the very challenging Auckland 1A rugby competition, are also in the Big Sing National Group-Singing competition. Our Dilworth choir, Fortissimo, reached the National Finale of the Big Sing three times in recent years.

At the time of writing this article, the current government is focusing on reducing child poverty. I suggest that a Dilworth education goes a significant way to taking young men and their families out of poverty, all thanks to the incredible generosity of the founders, James and Isabella Dilworth.

By Donald MacLean, Principal, Dilworth School

Word of mouth Word of mouth continues to be the primary means by which the Dilworth story is told, and in particular teachers and principals reading this article, will no doubt have young boys and their families in mind that may benefit from a Dilworth education.

Our primary intake is Years 5 & 7, and a very small intake in Year 9.

We have two open mornings in 2018 – Saturday 24th February and Friday 23rd March, and for further information about applications or the Dilworth story, please go to the website: www.dilworth.school.nz.

Term 1 - 2018 schoolnews

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EDUCATION |

Opinion TEL

Technology Enhanced Learning for both teachers and students Sue Ollerenshaw is an experienced educator who has worked with all age and ability groups, from primary to tertiary level. Originally an English teacher, Sue retrained mid-career as a digital technology teacher. She is now about to undertake an MA in Education and Design, focusing on how Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) may best be implemented in educational settings.

Here Sue shares her thoughts on why TEL is so important, the barriers to setting up a coherent TEL programme in schools, and how these may be overcome.

Digital technology is part of our lives. Our education system should therefore prioritise the use of technology in teaching and learning and implement technology in education in a systematic and logical way.

A recent Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report on the ‘global education industry’ emphasised how “imperative” it is to innovate and implement digital technologies in teaching and learning. Yet the same report, Innovating Education and Educating for Innovation: The Power of Digital Technologies and Skills, also highlighted how, unlike in other areas of modern work, communication and entertainment, “the world of education and learning is not yet going through the same technology-driven innovation process.”

Why is this the case? Why does international research (and the anecdotal experience of many of my fellow educators) indicate gaps in the digital skills of both teachers and learners, and a corresponding mismatch between the potential

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then be thoroughly learned and practised so that you are confident in its delivery. Next, coherent and appropriate materials have to be created and tested with students.

Technology has the tendency to be problematic first time round and things will have to be modified after the initial testing. (In the online technology industry this process is called “usability testing” and it is a full-time job and distinct subject in itself.)

and the actual use of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) in today’s classrooms, despite its ubiquitous presence elsewhere?

Why is technology often underutilised in our schools?

‘Enhanced’ what?

Uncertainty on the part of many teachers is one problem – most especially, confusion about what TEL actually is. For example, what does ‘enhanced’ mean in the term Technology Enhanced Learning?

The lack of a clear definition is exacerbated by a similar absence of shared understanding of what enhancement is or could be.

In addition, it is very difficult for already overloaded teachers to decide on which TEL solutions to opt for. There is such a vast range of offerings, from social media forums to screencasting software to online voting tools – all coming with their own bewildering array of acronyms: VLE (Virtual Learning Environment), BL (Blended Learning) or FL (Flipped Learning) sessions. An introductory MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) on “Blended Learning Essentials: Getting Started” from the University of Leeds mentioned over 60 different software possibilities! It is any wonder that teachers are struggling to keep up?

Nevertheless, the main factor

contributing to the slow up-take of TEL in education is probably time. For instance, in the Q&A session of the Leeds MOOC, the lecturer, Prof Neil Morris, is very clear about the preparation time necessary for creating digital content: “The time investment is high.”

He estimates that it can take up to five times as long to create TEL materials, at least initially, as it does using more traditional methods. At the same time, however, he also makes it clear that the payoff in TEL comes in the quality of the student experience – e.g., learning gain, increased flexibility of access, inclusiveness and engagement. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that the preparation of TEL materials requires a great deal of additional time – especially in the first instance and/or for inexperienced teachers.

More than just time But it is not just the development of TEL materials that is extremely time-consuming. Maybe as a teacher, you are lucky enough to be in a department where TEL is already in place; if not, the first thing you have to do is find appropriate software to use. This entails ploughing through the internet, signing up for endless accounts and testing the software.

The chosen application must

Additionally, the creation of TEL materials by classroom teachers will sometimes entail learning new skills in video, audio, animation and information graphics production needed to create good quality digital resources. Yet can we expect a time-strapped teacher to be totally responsible for this whole process?

Realistically, it is unreasonable to expect teachers to just ‘get on with it’ by themselves. After all, a teacher’s main job is teaching, with little time for extra work when potentially dealing with classes of 30+ students who all need attention. And that’s not even counting the marking, meetings, parent interviews, curriculum development, special needs, open days, and a host of other necessary activities that are part and parcel of a teacher’s job.

Yet while TEL is in competition for teachers’ valuable time, it is essential that it is given space to be developed. TEL should be implemented on a department- or institution-wide basis where all staff are given a clear direction, a clear choice of software to use and a support network where individuals can learn from/help each other.

Unfortunately, in my experience, what actually happens is that TEL occurs in a haphazard way. More enthusiastic staff members just get on with creating and using TEL materials themselves, while less tech savvy teachers simply avoid it. This results in an unbalanced implementation across the school, with students receiving very different learning experiences.

Opinion TEL

| EDUCATION

Sue Ollerenshaw

Practice makes perfect The New Zealand Ministry of Education’s 21st Century Learning Environments and Digital Literacy document states that “[i]nsufficient time and limited exposure to what is possible are two of the most quoted reasons to explain why the technology already in a school is not being well used”.

The report goes on to recommend that teachers work together rather than individually and highlights the need for “a significant shift to viewing teaching as a team practice rather than an individual practice”.

A lack of training in TEL is often seen as a factor contributing to the slow development of TEL in education – the OECD report mentioned above, for instance, points to “insufficient pedagogical

preparation on how to blend technology meaningfully into teaching”.

Although training is important in establishing a strong core of committed and knowledgeable TEL teachers, as a digital design tutor and web builder/designer I am aware that the actual training instruction is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to learning how to confidently use technology in classroom contexts. Once again, time is the key factor; time spent at the computer face practising, repeating and experimenting with technology. It can take a long time to become fully familiar with new software, especially if you are not completely up to speed with how programmes generally work.

Given this reality, is it any wonder that the successful implementation of TEL is easier said than done?

Yet, to repeat an earlier point, in order to properly educate and equip our children for their futures the use of technology in the classroom is essential. TEL must be a priority – and it would be so much easier to sustain the implementation process if teachers had a clear direction and a framework coming from knowledgeable experts, and if TEL was implemented into each school in a systematic way.

Start anywhere!

One small step that may help teachers could be to offer a premade resource that includes some of the most used or most popular TEL activities, such as screencasting, blog forums, quizes, videos or collaborative documents.

This, at least, will form part of my MA in Education and Design, with

a key focus being to produce (and test) a resource that could serve as an introduction to TEL for teachers who have a limited experience of how TEL can work.

The difference from existing TEL materials will be a resource designed as a “click and go” system. It will be self-contained so there will be no need to prepare anything. Obviously, ease of usability will be a key design factor, so there will be no need for the teacher to do much more than review the material beforehand.

The main aim, however, is to provide teachers who don’t know where to begin with TEL a starting point. I once saw a poster in a classroom that said “If you don’t know where to start, start anywhere!” Hopefully, my resource can help these teachers just to begin. And that’s a start.

Supplier Profile | sKIDS

A positive ‘whanau vibe’ with out-of-school care There is “a great ‘whanau vibe’ with sKids,” says Manurewa South School principal Tone Kolose, and this is due to their positive philosophy “around supporting families, and providing students with life skills and different experiences through the programmes they run”.

require care (before or after school), and making costs affordable for our families to attend, they always find ways to make things work financially, supporting the school with activities that relate to current learning programmes.”

Feedback from parents and teachers is always positive, Mr Kolose says. And if there are any issues they are dealt with immediately and in a way where there is a win-win outcome.”

sKids – Safe Kids in Daily Supervision – has been providing structured out of school care for Manurewa South School since 2012.

We chose sKids because “they were an established before/after school programme” says Mr Kolose. “Multi Site Owners Rose and Luke are awesome to work with and are a very special part of our school community. They are very accommodating, for example, when the school has had to close early for parent conferences they supervise students whose parents are unable to get them earlier,” he explains. “sKids also go above and beyond what you would expect from an Out of School Care Provider.

Of particular importance is health and safety, where once again Skids gets a big thumbs up.

Not only do they provide our students with before, after school care and holiday programmes. but our kids also get opportunities to develop new skills through their specialty cooking programme ‘FoodStorm’ and music programme ‘Jellybeans’ and we ALL love these programmes – the kids because they have so much fun, and the school,

because sKids come in and deliver the programmes so we don’t need to worry about finding extra staff.”

In addition, sKids “give back in many ways to our community through their Charity Kiwi Kids Education foundation,” Mr Kolose says.

“Through supporting students who

“The adult ratios are always what they need to be, whether they are based at school or on a trip during the holiday programme.

The quality of the programmes sKids offer are obviously working because their roll is booming.”

If you’re interested in learning more please contact sKids on 0800 274 172 or visit www.skids.co.nz.

Term 1 - 2018 schoolnews

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EDUCATION |

Dyslexia

Change is afoot with dyslexia

Dyslexia is really common; according to Yale University research, it affects up to one in five people and represents 80–90 percent of all learning disabilities.

Surprisingly though, teacher training in New Zealand provides scant instruction on how to best support dyslexic students, leaving teachers feeling bewildered about everything from screening to diagnosis to effectively accommodating the learning difficulty.

Nevertheless, there is much you can do in your own school or classroom to ensure that dyslexic students get the help they need to learn in the best way for them.

Remember: you have the power to inspire learning, despite how the curriculum is presented.

Some of the best feedback to the Dyslexia Foundation of New Zealand’s (DFNZ) nationwide workshops for school SENCOs

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It is important to stress that, while a full diagnosis is highly beneficial and should be part of the journey, it’s not the destination.

and teachers were about simple and pragmatic changes, which can be carried out in tomorrow’s class.

First of all are two teacher-led questions to students (once they have worked together for a long enough period to know one another). Question 1: “What do I do that makes learning easy for you?”, and Question 2: “What do I do that makes learning difficult for you?”

DFNZ had an overwhelming response from hundreds of teachers who decided to ask their students these simple questions.

Some teachers who had taught for decades said that they had learnt more about themselves by asking every child in their class to answer these questions than they had by following a labyrinth of different approaches suggested by different schools, leaders and institutions.

From many years working with

DFNZ, my own greatest insight is that children shouldn’t be kept waiting – we make them wait to get to know the next teacher every year at primary school, we make them wait for the next assessment (in case of improvement), we make them wait to qualify (or be bad enough) for remediation, and so on and so on. In all this waiting time, their self-esteem is plummeting, and they are unable to access the day-to-day curriculum because they are held back by their lack of basic skills.

At DFNZ, however, we advocate for accommodating difficulties from the get-go. It’s not enough to observe the discrepancies between obvious intellect and poor basic skills and just flag it to wait till a diagnosis may prove it’s true.

So why accommodate from the get-go and what does this look like?

Accommodations in the classroom: •

provide audio version of content or reading

•

offer extra time to complete written or reading tasks

•

provide the syllabus in advance

•

recommend reading on digital format to increase the font and have fewer words per page.

•

suggest the use of assistive technology (there are many on the market), so that textto-speech and speech-totext is understood and used

•

encourage self-advocacy and educate everyone in the class to understand different learners - once you understand as a teacher what makes learning easy

Dyslexia

or hard, this becomes a great teaching and learning exercise for the dynamics of the whole class and will massively increase productivity, trust, collaboration and output When accommodations are provided, all students engage with the curriculum. However, when students are not allowed accommodations, they are very often absent (in mind or physically separate in remediation classes) from the content of the curriculum.

Essentially, with the provision of accommodations, students realize how they learn best and will also discover how to learn independently.

At NCEA level, Special Assessment Conditions (SACs) are provided to any student who has school-based evidence of discrepancies in their

intellectual capability versus their written/basic skills. Contrary to popular belief, schools can apply for SACs without a diagnosis if there is sufficient school-based evidence to back up the application.

When it comes to diagnosing dyslexia, there is a network of C-level assessors and educational psychologists across the country qualified to do the diagnosis (this still sits in the private sector).

It’s wonderful when the school itself looks at screening students and acting on that information immediately by providing both accommodations and learning support.

For more information on: •

assessment & diagnosis www.dyslexiafoundation.org. nz/members.html

•

dyslexia advocacy www.dyslexiafoundation.org. nz/dyslexia_advocacy/

•

accommodating learners www.4d.org.nz/school/ download.html

•

school screening www.sess.ie/dyslexiasection/lists-tests

Choosing to flag difficulties through screening puts the control back into the hands of the school.

| EDUCATION

Using this strategy is immediately helpful to the student, rather than waiting, where we often deter learning and inhibit individual progress for far longer periods than are healthy. It is important to stress that, while a full diagnosis is highly beneficial and should be part of the journey, it’s not the destination.

Acceptance and accommodation are the destination; aspiration and flexibility are the journey.

Get it right for dyslexia; get it right for all.

By Esther Whitehead, Managing Trustee of the DFNZ

A fififfi-fifivfir for fifiofifi wfio fififffir from rfifififing fififfifififififififififififififififififififififififififi “C-Pens are amazing!

In fififi worfifi of AT, fifififi fifi fi fioofi fivfirfionfi nfififififi Wfifififin mfinfifififi’ fififififinfifi finfi fifififififirfi firfi fififing fififi pfinfi fio rfififi workfifififififi, vofifibfififirfi worfifi, bfifi fififififififififi finfi fivfin fifikfi mfifi bofifififi” - K. White, AT Specialist, June 2016

Available in three options: For more information visit fififififififivfifififififififiofinz or a call 0800 864-382 Term 1 - 2018 schoolnews

19

EDUCATION |

Dyslexia

My strategies for success Labelled lazy by teachers, Aidan Milner struggled through school. However, despite severe dyslexia and dyscalculia, he thrived at university. He explains why.

Despite severe dyslexia and dyscalculia, Adam thrived at university...

I was formally diagnosed with severe dyslexia and dyscalculia when I was 10-years-old. My assessment report also pointed out that I showed signs of severe anxiety, which was not a surprise.

Despite my diagnosis, school still thought they knew best and refused to believe that I was dyslexic. They said I was in fact just a lazy kid who needed to try harder and to stop misbehaving in class. I was given numerous detentions for not completing work.

It was clear that the school system on its own wouldn’t be of any help. So we turned to SPELD. They were amazing. I don’t think I would have made it through without the help of my tutors.

At school, I also had trouble with anything and everything to do with maths. This included things as basic as recalling my home phone number. As a kid, I was terrified of getting lost and not being able to call home.

Maths was put on the back burner as my spelling and reading alone were enough to make anyone tear their hair out. But eventually I

SPELD NZ is a not-for-profit organisation providing specialised help for those with dyslexia and other specific learning disabilities: SPELD NZ Training: • • •

• • • •

needed someone to double check what I did. In lectures, when graphs or equations were shown I was just lost and glazed over so that was something I needed to keep track of. I also found it tricky to remember the geological ages, which could be a bit of an issue for events such as ice ages and major eruptions.

Despite being labelled ‘lazy’ by teachers, Aidan Milner successfully completed his MSc and now works as an engineering geologist.

began working one-on-one with a maths tutor and had much better results.

Most people would think that transitioning from high school to university would be a big challenge. However, it was manageable thanks to the

Diagnostic Woodcock-Johnson assessments by qualified assessors with specialised SPELD NZ training One-to-one evidence based tuition by qualified teachers with specialised SPELD NZ training Support for families and whanau NZQA approved courses for parents, teachers, teacher aides and other interested professionals

Certificate Course in Specific Learning Disabilities (NZQA Level 5) – 400 hours delivered online or face-to-face Introductory Course in Specific Learning Disabilities (NZQA Level 3) – 2 days SPELD NZ Assessor Course (not NZQA approved)

For more information on services and training, see www.speld.org.nz or call 0800 773 536

fantastic support of the disability services team at Victoria University in Wellington. They scheduled catch-up meetings throughout the first term when I was finding my feet. Other learning support included workshops, essay proofreading sessions and reader/writers with subject knowledge for my exams and tests. My PhD student friends helped proof read my work.

I also had a great computer programme called Read and Write Gold that read my essays, pdf documents and web pages.

Once I had the software, I found my essay grades went from Cs to As - it was a massive help.

Unlike school, university felt like a safe place to say that you have dyslexia. Some of my lecturers had some kind of dyslexia and those that didn’t fully understood how it works.

In terms of maths, I always

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schoolnews Term 1 - 2018

Another challenge has been my job as a volunteer with Wellington Free Ambulance. It involves loads of numbers and words. I have to read blood pressures and oxygen data backwards. One way I have learned to cope is to say everything aloud so the other ambulance officers can pick up on it. The paperwork can be a bit scary. It’s always embarrassing filling it out in front of patients when they can see my bad spelling. I have a notebook of key medical words which helps.

Eventually I graduated with my Master of Science (with second class first division honours) in geology, and I now have a job as an engineering geologist. The 10-year-old me would never have thought this was possible!

It was extremely humbling graduating and reflecting on how my teachers viewed dyslexia and how wrong they all were. It just goes to show that you can’t judge a book by its cover. It also goes to show that one-on-one specialist teaching works very well for people like me.

By Aidan Milner

Queen Margaret College

| PROFILES

A new house and a new home The nearest many of us have to the boarding school concept is probably via the long tradition of fictional British children’s stories, stretching from ‘Tom Brown’s School Days’ to ‘Harry Potter’.

At Queen Margaret College (QMC) in Wellington, however, an exciting new school story is about to begin in reality with the opening of its new boarding facility, Queen Margaret House.

Indeed, the newly-appointed boarding manager overseeing this fresh chapter in QMC’s history, Bronwyn Petrie, is herself very familiar with the old-style British boarding school system.

Originally from Christchurch – a city with its own long-established boarding school pedigree – Bronwyn is recently returned from several years managing a boarding house at the prestigious Bradfield College in Berkshire, England.

And she has been looking

Bronwyn Petrie

forward to putting her hardearned knowledge and experience to good use for when the 40 room accommodation facility opens its doors to welcome boarders for Term 1, 2018 (just as School News goes to press).

“It’s really important that boarders have a relaxed but structured atmosphere, with choices to be private as well as to join in group activities,”

Queen Margaret College’s new principal, Jayne-Ann Young

Bronwyn says. This is where the state-of-the-art Queen Margaret House differs markedly from the traditional British boarding school, Bronwyn explains.

At Bradfield College, for example, younger boarders began in ‘quads’ (four bed dormitories), then moved on to twin rooms as they progressed through school; by contrast, QMC’s new boarders will have their own room right from the start.

“The way it’s been designed – with single rooms – gives the girls ‘time out’ space, as well as common rooms,” she says.

Another big difference, not available to centuries-old traditional boarding schools, is that Queen Margaret House’s initial intake of young residents will themselves have an input and influence on how the hostel is run.

Term 1 - 2018 schoolnews

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PROFILES |

Queen Margaret College

“The girls that are starting will have their own impact on the culture that develops,” Bronwyn says.

This is an important point reiterated by Queen Margaret College’s new principal, JayneAnn Young.

“We’re looking for the students to guide us – to ask, ‘who are we?’”

Jayne-Ann believes that fostering a thriving boarding

culture right from the get go is crucial. This is one of the reasons Queen Margaret House is having a ‘soft launch’ this year, allowing both boarder numbers to grow and the boarding ethos to develop progressively.

The college has already listened to and acted upon some of the recommendations of students, especially international ones currently living in home-stays in Wellington.

“A number of Japanese students said what they missed most wasn’t their parents or food – it was a Japanese bath.”

Margaret House, Jayne-Ann says, something that will also provide value to the wider school population.

Hey presto! – a Japanese bath is one of many innovations included in the Queen Margaret House design.

“We already have about 40 nationalities, but [the boarding house] will add an extra dimension.”

The “insights you get into different cultures” is one of the added benefits of the mix of international and domestic students who will share Queen

Jayne-Ann herself is well aware of the advantages that exposure to a wide range of different cultures brings. After beginning her teaching career in the South Island and then progressing further into school management in Auckland, Jayne-Ann then joined an educational consultancy company with extensive overseas links.

Living and working internationally such as Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates was a wonderful privilege, both personally and professionally.

“It gave me the opportunity to experience different educational systems,” she says.

Now, though, she has swapped the UAE’s capital for New Zealand’s. Given that Wellington is the centre of this country’s government – and as such, has

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schoolnews Term 1 - 2018

Queen Margaret College

strong international connections – it may come as a surprise that Queen Margaret College will be the only girls’ school in the city to offer boarding accommodation.

Queen Margaret House’s first residents, therefore, will have an added responsibility to set the scene for future generations of boarders, Jayne-Ann says, especially as the school’s centenary approaches next year.

“The [boarding house] photo taken in January 2018 will be the one seen for the next 100 years.”

students. The decision to build Queen Margaret House, therefore, was “a response to need”, Jayne-Ann says.

During the school holidays, Queen Margaret House will be available for groups to rent out as accommodation while visiting Wellington.

Certainly, the location of the new boarding house, within the grounds of Queen Margaret College in Thorndon, itself close to the city centre, is an added

bonus for its young residents, says Bronwyn.

“It’s fabulous for the girls to access cosmopolitan Wellington without the transport logistics,” she says.

While boarders can enjoy all that the capital has to offer, they will also be expected to be fully committed members of the house community.

“We will provide the girls with structures and routines that

| PROFILES

build pride and loyalty in where they’re living.”

But most of all, Bronwyn wants the new boarding house to be somewhere that boarders “regard as home – a home away from home”.

Jayne-Ann concurs. “Queen Margaret House will be a house and a home,” she says.

By Patrick Whittle

In this respect, it is very much ‘back to the future’ for Queen Margaret College; when the college opened to welcome its first intake in 1919, a small number of the college’s initial 53 students were boarders.

However, as boarding declined in popularity after World War 2, the original boarding house was closed in 1950.

Fast forward to the early 21st century, however, and the situation has changed dramatically, with a growing demand for boarding facilities in New Zealand schools from both international and domestic Term 1 - 2018 schoolnews

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y d n a d l o o c d o l approve e v r a m n e e k t u o t s u j d n a m h g groovy inde u o s t n e c e r r a l u p o p y h c a e o o neat nifty p c e t u n i m e h t o t p u y d n e r t after super fab

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ULTIMATE MIXED FUNDRAISING PACK From the all-time favourite Creamy Milk, to new (and to die for...) Berry & Biscuit, to decadent White Chocolate, to my personal favourite Fruit & Nut, to the connoisseur's 50% Dark Chocolate - there is one or many to tempt your supporters. Why buy one, when you can buy five! Each fundraising packs contains 12 bars of Creamy Milk and 6 bars each of Berry & Biscuit, White, Fruit & Nut and 50% Dark. These delicious chocolate fundraising bars have single-handedly set the New Zealand fundraising market on fire!!

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The House of Fundraising

schoolnews Term 1 - 2018

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0800 806 542

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| WHAT'S HOT

NEW BILINGUAL RESOURCES The two latest bilingual resources from Arahia Books are user-friendly for teachers and engaging for students. They align with the Māori language curriculum guidelines and help teachers to maximise their use of He Reo Tupu, He Reo Ora. They also support teachers to meet the requirements of PTC 10 – working in a bicultural context. Each resource pack contains a big book, 10 small books, a set of flash cards and a downloadable link containing digital and audio files, as well as a mini-book template for children to take home.

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THE WORKFORCE ET-4750 ECO TANK ALL-IN-ONE The WorkForce ET-4750 EcoTank all-in-one, powered by PrecisionCore®, offers revolutionary cartridge-free printing with easy-to-fill, super-sized ink tanks. It includes up to 2 years of ink in the box. That’s an incredible amount of ink — enough to print up to 11,200 pages, and equivalent to about 30 ink cartridge sets. Plus, it features auto-stop ink bottles with each colour uniquely keyed for easy filling of each tank. The ET-4750 also offers a high-capacity 250-sheet paper tray, fax, 2.4" colour touchscreen, 30-sheet ADF, fast auto 2-sided printing, and convenient wired and wireless networking.

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VISION LASER ETCHED PLANNER A great addition to a busy school, a made to order term planner. You select the layout and content that suits your team. Potter’s VISION laser etched planners are made from the usual high quality magnetic porcelain you are used too. With the addition of permanent laser etching you will have a tidy board that looks good and gives structure to this important informative staff tool.

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Term 1 - 2018 schoolnews

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FOOD & BEVERAGE |

Outsourcing School Lunches

Making school lunch the healthy highlight of the day

Any school considering outsourcing school lunches must take into account the same considerations as students’ parents and caregivers in deciding on the most appropriate options, most especially with regard to the three key factors of nutritional value, cost and convenience.

Yet, these three factors can often conflict; cheap and convenient foods – those epitomised by unhealthy ‘take-aways’ – are often of low nutritional value.

While common-sense dictates how adults balance cost vs convenience vs nutrition, the food options presented to growing children (the primary concern for both schools and students’ whanau) should be carefully considered, diverse and clearly labelled.

In other words, any food provided to children as an outsourced lunch option must, first and foremost, be varied and honest. The phrase ‘no hidden nasties’ comes to mind: children, parents and young people need to be able to make educated decisions about what to eat, with plenty of nutritious and healthy options available to outsource. Only then can the balance of cost and convenience be calculated so that informed choices can be made about what foods children are offered at lunchtime.

With this in mind, schools and parents/caregivers can examine

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schoolnews Term 1 - 2018

in more specific detail how these (and other factors) impact on what is provided for students at lunchtime, and how.

Nutrition It goes without saying that optimal nutrition is essential during childhood and adolescence, when students are experiencing periods of rapid growth – not just physically, but also emotionally, socially and cognitively. And the foods that children consume during their formative years have a vital impact on this growth – and on their health in general. Indeed, it is increasingly recognised that the eating habits and behaviours that emerge at this stage of a young person’s life persist into adulthood; establishing healthy eating attitudes and patterns, therefore, can make a lifelong contribution to overall health and well-being.

To resassure and inform parents, it is worth schools checking official health recommendations for children and young people (for example, the advice available on the HealthEd website https:// www.healthed.govt.nz/home) and providing their own guidance for parents and caregivers (say, as part of the information on school lunch options, including outsourced ones).

nutritional advice – for instance, which of the four major food groups their products ‘tick off .’

Of course, children being children, many of their favourite foods – those most promoted by food advertising – may be high in sugar, salt and/or fat, and the healthiest drink option, water, may not always be the one chosen by children.

However, even here children can be nudged towards choosing healthy options from an outsourcing supplier, especially if the healthier choices are packaged and delivered in exciting ways. Plus, encouraging children to choose healthier options for themselves, rather than having them imposed upon them, gives the responsibility to the students themselves – and, hopefully, inculcates lasting healthy decision-making.

Cost Healthy food options (especially for fresh products with a limited ‘shelf life’) tend to be more expensive than less healthy options with mass-produced or processed ingredients, and this applies to outsourced school lunches as well as to homesourced or school-sourced meals.

Reputable suppliers of outsourced school lunches will provide full details of the nutritional value of their lunch options.

However, other cost considerations need to be taken into account, and these may vary widely between schools and between students’ families/ whanau.

Similalrly, responsible lunch providers should provide parents and whanau information on how their lunch offerings reflect official

For schools, the cost benefits of outsourced school lunches will depend on existing facilities – for example, whether the school

already has a dedicated tuckshop or canteen, and whether or not lunches are prepared in-school.

Outsourced school lunches that can ‘piggyback’ on existing facilities – e.g., can be distributed via a tuckshop or canteen – will be less costly than implementing new systems.

For parents, outsourced school lunches may cost more than likefor-like meals prepared at home.

At the same time, outsourced lunches can provide a greater range of food options, especially when it comes to fresh ingredients and variety.

Convenience Even with the best will in the world, busy parents may not have time to provide the best lunch option for their children every day of the week. And it is in terms of convenience that outsourced school lunches have a clear advantage, with the time-costs of food purchase and preparation borne by the supplier rather than the parents/caregivers.

Increasingly, online pre-ordering of lunches adds to the convenience value of outsourced lunches, as well as enabling parents/ caregivers to monitor the types of food their children are offered.

Some companies even offer preordering by SMS text messaging.

For schools, the use of online or SMS pre-ordering and payment by parents/caregivers removes the logistical issue of taking orders and cash-handling, freeing up administrative staff for other duties.

Outsourcing School Lunches

| FOOD & BEVERAGE

Supplier Profile | Subway

Hassle-free school lunches, the Subway way The opportunity to ‘Eat Fresh’ is but one of the many tasty advantages of the Subway School Lunch Programme, according to students and staff at a Dunedin school participating in the nationwide scheme.

Sue Lowden, office manager at the South Island city’s Balmacewen Intermediate School, says their once-a-week “Subway Day” is both hassle-free for the school’s administration and a much-anticipated “treat” for students.

She particularly appreciates that Subway “do all the work for us”.

“It’s super easy. Subway provide a step by step guide for ordering, and orders are placed by the parent online” Sue explains. “We only need to disperse the orders when they arrive on a Thursday, no money handling occurs for us, each order is clearly labelled – and Subway are always on time.”

As for the children eagerly awaiting their lunches: “Our students love the option. It is a weekly treat enjoyed by a growing number of students – and parents love having a break from the mundane job of making school lunches.”

The Subway school lunch consists of a smaller-sized mini sub or six inch sub, filled with fresh vegetables and lean protein on freshly baked bread, as well as a water and a ‘99% Fruit Crush’.

Subway Corporate Social Responsibility Manager Ben Miles says, “Our goal was to make a nutritious meal that was easy for schools, one that kids would love to eat, and something parents can feel good about. With a kid-appropriate portion size and fresh veggies that contribute to their daily “two fruit and five veggies”, it’s been really well received by lots of schools and parents across New Zealand.”

According to Heart Foundation Fuelled4Life Programme Manager Sarah Goonan, a nutritious lunch “is important for growing children because it improves concentration and provides the nutrients they need for growth and development”.

“A healthy sandwich includes plenty of colourful vegetables, wheat bread and a lean source of protein. The Heart Foundation supports all schools to be water-only, so it’s fantastic to see plain water as part of Subway’s School Lunch Programme,” she says.

Ensuring that Balmacewen students get their lunches delivered on time and “all present and correct” is the job of Subway Kaikorai Valley and North Dunedin franchisee Trudy Quirk, who has been running the Subway School Lunch Programme with local schools for the past five years.

“Currently my restaurant has four primary schools, one holiday programme and one intermediate school on our books,” she says. “It has been well received and the feedback from parents and admin teams at the schools has been fantastic.”

The change to an online ordering system in early 2017 has also made the process so

much easier for both parents and schools, Trudy says.

“The online option was well received by the school as it eliminated the morning cash envelope drop-off and co-ordination of orders, and it allows parents to payonline – a huge advantage in today’s world.”

Sue Lowden agrees that online ordering makes the process much smoother for all concerned. “Parents pay online so we do not need to handle any payments for orders. It also supports our local community’s businesses.”

Moreover, having a once-a-week Subway

Day adds variety to the children’s lunch times, Sue says. “As we do not have a school canteen this provides the opportunity for our students to mix up their lunch menu once a week. We love having the option of Subway and can rest easy knowing it’s a nutritious lunch which will give kids the fuel they need to get through the afternoon.”

An extra ingredient that makes Subway Day even more special for students at Balmacewan Intermediate is the chance to win a free meal for them and their friends, Trudy says.

“A lot of franchisees have fun with their local schools with the programme. At my restaurant, we offer a ‘principal’s lunch shout’. With every student who orders a lunch, their names go in a monthly draw and if they win, they get to choose three friends to have lunch with the principal – and Subway shout the lunch. It’s our little way to give back and have fun,” Trudy explains.

The lunches can be tailored to a school’s individual requirements with the school having the choice of how often they’d like Subway Days, and which items to include from the menu.

“The Subway School Lunch Programme provides an alternative lunch source which is healthy, great value for money, varied and hassle-free,” Sue says.

For details about the Subway School Lunch Programme, email schoollunchesnz@ subway.com and your local restaurant manager will contact you to discuss your school’s needs.

Term 1 - 2018 schoolnews

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FOOD & BEVERAGE |

Outsourcing School Lunches

Supplier Profile | Champion Tuckshops

Champion Tuckshops – Feeding the Future Picture this scenario: 1 School – 900 hungry teenagers – all under the age of 18. It’s 12:30pm and the bell just rang. You are standing behind the counter and a 1m by 1m hole in a wall, in an apron, a hair net and holding on to nothing but a set of tongs, and the aspirations of surviving the next 30 minutes. Now brace for impact as the first hungry customers come running towards you like they were competing at the Olympics!

Welcome to the Champion Tuckshops reality.

You may not have heard the name, but Champion Tuckshops has been an unsung hero in New Zealand schools for over a decade. The trusted brand under the Libelle Group umbrella has been an innovative driver in shaping modern school food retail and has been feeding hungry learners all over the Country.

Founder of award-winning Libelle Group and Champion Tuckshops, Johannes Tietze, is the leading charge in the mission of delivering a full nutritional payload, a good lunch, at an affordable price. “I wanted to beat the myth that

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schoolnews Term 1 - 2018

you can’t get good food at a good price.”

Coming from a catering background this forward-thinking chef is setting national benchmarks that parents can now trust. “The right, nutritional food is crucial during the school day and we make it our responsibility to feed these kids with food that will support their learning – and that’s what they are at school to do”.

the commitment to not only bringing the highest quality, best nutritional value to the table – we also do it at affordable price”.

Unfortunately, there is a perception amongst parents and caregivers in New Zealand even today, that tuckshops just serve unhealthy food. While this may have been true decades ago, legislation, school policy changes and the rise of cooking shows and celebrity chefs have changed the landscape and what is expected significantly.

TXT my LUNCH, at first glance, seems to be a ploy to persuade parents not make lunches at home for their kids anymore… and, as a matter of fact, it actually is not too far from the truth.

In 2017, Campion Tuckshops trialled TXT my LUNCH, an online ordering / pre-purchase system and is rolling it out Nation-wide for the start of the 2018 school year.

This has been a huge step in the right direction, but not enough to improve our position internationally, where we ranked 3rd most obese country in the World in 2017.

Parents and caregivers can now go online and use TXT my LUNCH to buy a $6 lunch for their children, rather than send them to school with a soggy sandwich or cash. The hungry learner will receive what is called a ‘meal ticket’ on their phone and redeem it at any Champion Tuckshop for a full, nutritional combo meal.

“Inappropriate nutrition can lead to childhood obesity, which regretfully, in New Zealand is still increasing at an alarming rate” Tietze said, “At Champion Tuckshops, we have made

“How much is a minute worth to a mum having to run 2 kids to school in the morning?” asks Tietze, “this new system will save busy parents the time it takes to make that lunch every day.”

“That $6.00 virtual ticket can only be redeemed for a good lunch – not at the dairy for a 1.5 litre fizzy drink, lollies, cigarettes or other substances that may be available on the way to school.

Money that is designated to your son or daughter’s nutrition, is guaranteed to deliver exactly that”.

TXT my LUNCH also gives the user an option to donate a lunch, where the $6 meal ticket is sent to a student deserving a free lunch anywhere in New Zealand.

In the short time since its launch, it has proven to be successful with parents, principals and pupils, all giving extremely positive feedback.

In 2018, Champion Tuckshops around New Zealand will be serving more than 50,000 hungry learners healthy lunches daily and in doing so, help fix those damning obesity statistics.

For more information on Champion Tuckshops and Libelle Group Ltd see libelle.co.nz or if you would like to learn more or donate a lunch, head to txtmylunch.co.nz.

Feeding Young minds.

2018 will see the innovative company Champion Tuckshops revitalize school food across New Zealand!

With a focus on healthy food, value for money and the roll out of Txt My Lunch, Champion Tuckshops is the number one choice for feeding young minds!

Like us on our Facebook page to keep up with promotions, menus, competitions & more.

fb.com/championtuckshopsnz

SY!

O EA S N E E B R E V E N L LUNCH HAS

SCHOO

2.

1.

Choose the quantity of meal tickets you would like to gift.

Enter number of the student you want to send a meal ticket to.

3.

DONE! The student will redeem their meal ticket at a Champion Tuckshop.

To send a lunch go to: txtmylunch.co.nz Term 1 - 2018 schoolnews 29

ADMINISTRATION |

Fundraising

Fundraising ideas to engage busy parents As school budgets feel the pinch, the same conditions are putting the squeeze on the resources families have at their disposal - both financial and otherwise.

Schools may be feeling the sting of a dearth of support from the school community, as a only straggle of one or two parents answer the call for volunteers.

Yet, the answer is to select fundraisers that offer easy ordering, a product that people want to buy, and/or no risk arrangements where you pay for what you sell and return the rest.

More families than ever have two parents working and any fundraising aspirations have to take this into account, but according to one high school staff member, the key is to make it easy on the parents.

The good news? Companies are coming to the party with ideas that take the headaches out of fundraising and allow parents to be involved without spending hours baking cakes.

Parents really do want to help, she says, and the key is to let them know what you need in plenty of time: “Issue a steady stream of communications through whichever channels you have - the newsletter, Facebook page, assemblies and so on. We need to remind families that help is needed.”

Parents want to contribute, but

they need the fundraising to be straightforward, not too timeconsuming, and profitable enough to warrant their time.

Choosing a provider that makes the process simple is paramount, as is aligning the labour requirements to your specific school community – and don’t forget to involve the kids!

Your student body is fantastic resource of motivated, energetic fundraising operatives and depending on the age of your students, they may be able to

leave the parents entirely out of the labour equation. The realism must extend to the age of your students: “Primary schools can run fundraisers that use children’s creativity, such as volunteer card-making workshops at lunchtime leading up to Christmas and Easter, while high school students can probably be trusted to sell chocolates outside the local supermarket after school – depending on your school’s location.”

something the school can do without you.

Mobilising the student body is the domain of school staff, and not

By Suzy Barry, Industry Reporter

All school leaders will have examples of times their students showed amazing determination and creativity in reaching a fundraising goal.

With the guidance of a tenacious staff coordinator, the culture of service and self-responsibility can engender both a sense of accomplishment, and an uplifting atmosphere of school pride.

“It was easy and we made $1,200 out of it which was a good start.

People liked it because it was healthy. The lady we ordered from was great to deal with and made it all easy. For us, it was brilliant and we will look at doing another one in summer.” - Kim, Manawatu

www.juicies.co.nz Freephone 0800 148 276

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schoolnews Term 1 - 2018

Fundraising

| ADMINISTRATION

Juicies for a healthier fundraiser

Tasman Bay Food Group managing director Marina Hirst Tristram says fundraising products for schools need to be easy to manage, offer good profitability and be good for kids.

“We’re hearing from Marina Hirst Tristram schools (and parents) that they’re looking for healthier fundraising food options than the traditional lollies, chocolate and cookies, which is why schools appreciate that the Juicies in our fundraiser packs are 100 percent natural and are made from real fruit, with a five-star health star rating.”

Fundraising can be stressful. With parents’ lives already at capacity, Ms Hirst Tristram suggests “organisers should also look for fundraising products that can be sold through a preordering system or on a sale or return basis so they’re not left with unsold goods.”

“Look for fundraising products that fit with your school values, such as being made from simple, natural ingredients, and made in New Zealand. It’s also worth selecting products that kids already know and parents would purchase anyway,” she advises.

Cookie Time tips for fundraising success For busy New Zealand schools, fundraising needs to be simple, fast and profitable. A high-profile brand and admin support can also help schools more easily reach their goals.

Cookie Time, a Reader’s Digest trusted brand, which already works with children through Cookie Time Charitable Trust and Dyslexia Foundation, has developed a fundraising starter kit that ticks all the boxes.

Cookie Time fundraising manager Linda Paluc recommends aligning fundraising with existing gifting occasions, like Easter and Christmas. “Treats are a perfect addition to any gift, so at festive times sales really boom.”

Ms Paluc says Cookie Time takes the admin out of fundraising, leaving plenty of time to generate sales.

“We have an amazing variety of exclusive products, with promotional and ordering material, credit facilities and quick delivery, plus a team available to answer questions anytime.”

Participating in fundraising can provide real-life learning for students. Backed by a reliable system, their energy, passion and honesty translates into “the most enthusiastic and successful mini sales force there is,” Ms Paluc says.

Term 1 - 2018 schoolnews

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ADMINISTRATION |

Fundraising

Fundraising that really works School fundraising can be a daunting exercise, but The House of Fundraising has partnered with a famous family of chocolatiers to deliver sweet relief to your school community.

The House of Fundraising co-owner, Deb Bennett, says delivering top quality, New Zealand-made Whittaker's chocolate that people love and trust - with exceptional service – takes the sting out of the often-stressful task of managing a fundraising drive.

New Zealand owned and operated, The House of Fundraising saves schools time while they raise money for much needed school projects.

“We understand you're busy so we provide expert assistance and fundraising ideas right

from the start to make your fundraising drive hassle-free,” Deb explains.

She says fundraisers, done well, can be both profitable

and enjoyable. With a fair percentage of chocolate lovers in every community, the sweet simplicity of chocolate means there may be no finer way

to fundraise: “Thirty years' experience means we've got plenty of fundraising ideas and hints to ensure that's exactly what happens.”

Reliable sales plus streamlined service equals fundraising success What does the modern school community require?

A fundraising option that is simple, low-stress in the admin department, and with reliable sales.

Tim Marshall of Packaging Plus says the launch of their new platform, Fundraise Plus, does just that.

“The new online platform will make it easy to raise funds from items commonly used in the home like baking paper, foil, food wrap, toilet paper, bin liners and much more,” he says. “We have invested in a platform that will create a fundraising site using the school’s own branding.”

Mr Marshall says fundraising with the Fundraise Plus platform will be easy: “We

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schoolnews Term 1 - 2018

have made it that way because we know from first-hand experience it needs to be.”

“We are also offering a launch promo to schools where we will personally help fundraise an additional $6850 (minimum) for the school in 2018. “With schools and charities raising more than $10,000 in some campaigns, it’s no wonder we have schools coming back, for simple, effective fundraising solutions.”

Fundraising

| ADMINISTRATION

Light up your disco fundraiser with glowing smiles While glowsticks for the school disco is a timehonoured tradition, Graeme Le Roux, from MISH Fundraising, says that “schools are starting to move away from traditional cheap glowsticks - and instead offering a higher value LED product that can be reused at home or at another party or sleepover”.

He says this is where the MISH

‘no risk returns’ policy shines: “Schools only pay after the disco for sold stock and return unsold products. This enables maximum sales for maximum profit, with no risk.”

To capitalise on children’s natural love of sparkle and light, he recommends displaying them “glowing at the start – when the kiddies see them glowing they’ll want them!”

For top notch school disco advice, Graeme says MISH has been in the business of making people smile with glowing and flashing items for more than a decade.

His parting advice is to encourage the selling team to wear the products so it’s easy for the kids to see where to get their sparkling disco-wear on the night.

Term 1 - 2018 schoolnews

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ADMINISTRATION |

Furniture for the MLE

Creating the right environment for modern teaching and learning School learning environments have evolved since the not-solong-ago days of desks in row upon row – or, even earlier, simple wooden tables and basic benches.

And just as pencil and paper has given way to laptops and tablets, and inks and paints have been replaced by pixels and digital graphics, so too has Furniture for the Modern Learning Environment adapted to reflex changing styles and approaches to classroom teaching and learning.

While the term ‘modern learning environment’ (MLE) is unique to New Zealand, similar concepts –

also described as ‘flexible learning environments’, ‘innovative learning spaces’, and the like – have become the focus of increasing interest and research across the world.

with furniture arrangements more reflective of decades-old factory floors or typing pools of the ‘Mad Men’ era.

This is not simply an ephemeral ‘buzz-word’ phenomenon; rather, it is focussed on obvious (and yet long overlooked) questions such: How does the classroom ‘learning environment’ help or hinder student success? And, does the modern school environment reflex the real world – especially the real modern working environment – that students will eventually enter?

By contrast, a modern learning environment should reflect the future not the past, with greater openness and freedom of movement to access resources (especially digital technology) and to encourage more collaborative, more active and more enquirybased learning. Here, flexibility is key, with creative layout and thoughtfully designed furniture crucial to turning simple spaces into successful learning areas.

In today’s ever-changing, everadapting world, technology rules supreme, and it is unlikely that today’s students will encounter the same workplaces or enter the same professions as earlier generations. Yet some modern school classrooms still reflect the set-up of obsolete work practices,

Openness and freedom

Such versatility should also reflect not only the different tasks and activities being undertaken by students, but also the individual learning styles of these self-same young people – for example, beanbags in the reading zone

for more leisurely readers, higher seats with rotating bases for their more high-energy peers.

Flexibility also allows for choice, with students themselves able to choose whether to work sitting down at a traditional desk, or standing and writing on an elevated one, or even kicking off their shoes and working on the floor. Again, this is a reflection of the move away from regimenting student behaviour, and for encouraging students more towards autonomy and responsible decision-making.

A modern learning environment, therefore, is student-focussed, with a central aim to foster and maintain student engagement, and – most especially – to develop student agency, including the personal qualities of critical thinking and creativity, empathy and interpersonal and intercultural awareness.

Designing the right space for you and your learners We all want to see students thrive in the most inspiring learning spaces – ones that give students every opportunity to achieve their best.

A common mis-step, however, is to get caught up in the bright lights and aesthetics of new space planning. Before you start, there are a few considerations that should be top of the list, while still working within your physical and budgetary constraints.

The most important consideration when designing a space is, as author Simon Sinek says, “start with why”. Your overall teaching and learning strategy is critical – first you agree your values and then work through the process of defining your strategy. This is key to

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designing a successful learning space.

the students move from indoor to outdoor activities seamlessly?

If you are developing competencies around communication and collaboration, then what practices are supporting this?

For example, are you teamteaching? Do you practise flipped learning? Is your learning inquiry-based or play-based?

Helpful observations from furniture manufacturers include:

Then it’s time to consider learning styles and activities in your space. There will be cultural differences within the group, students with special needs, those that prefer to collaborate and others who prefer quiet spaces. Similarly think about the activities in the space and what collaboration, creativity and critical thinking might look like in action.

How will classroom technology be used, are you catering for wet areas in the space and how will

•

•

Single desks are giving way to more flexible table solutions. Students are choosing to work at standing height surfaces, or on the floor. Teachers, too, need flexibility and are choosing mobile stations that take up less space and can be moved easily around or between rooms.

Writeable surfaces are increasingly popular in the classroom. They encourage students to be more creative and less inhibited as they work through solutions before documenting their work through photos. Whiteboard tables are a great way to

facilitate interaction with teacher and students, and between groups of students.

•

And structure is still important – comfortable chairs paired with hard work surfaces at the correct height have their place in classrooms and should be included in the overall mix.

In fact, modern learning environments are no longer the big unknown factor for schools.

Over the past few years, schools have become more mindful that environmental factors in these spaces play a huge role in the comfort levels and engagement of students. Light, sound, air quality and colour all have an impact on how well the space functions, particularly when it is busy with a room full of inspired students.

By Trish Scott, Furnware

Furniture for the MLE

‘Activity pockets’ While none of this is possible without teacher input and engaging activity content, well planned furniture design and layout can lead to the creation of interesting ‘activity pockets’, where equipment and resources are contained within easy reach, and in which furniture can easily be moved to suit task requirements.

Nevertheless, the teacher’s role also includes selecting furniture and furniture layout to complement their teaching styles and learning strategies; for example, repositioning furniture items for co-teaching or to enhance flippedlearning.

Nor need the students be the only ones ‘going mobile’ – increasingly, teachers themselves are cottoning on to the advantages of classroom flexibility, for example with their own mobile desks.

School News asked industry experts in New Zealand to pass on advice to schools and educators keen to create or enhance modern learning environments in their classrooms.

Industry perspectives Olivia Watkins, marketing coordinator at Scholar Furniture While furniture should be functional and ergonomic for particular age groups, it’s important to think about pedagogy and learning vision, and teaching styles and subjects when choosing appropriate furniture items.

Flexible and multi-purpose pieces are key - versatile and movable furniture can easily be converted to suit different uses by both teachers and students, and by groups or individuals.

Also consider technology zones

within the classroom, including charging and storing devices.

With colour, too much can be over-stimulating, too little may be boring. Neutral tones with injections of colour – say, neutral table surfaces with coloured frames – are increasingly trendy.

High benches, tiered seating and stools, and writable surfaces are popular, as is movement, with teachers opting for soft seating to allow gentle motion and encourage creativity.

| ADMINISTRATION

New and refurbished schools are increasingly focussed on good design and high-quality products, and with this in mind it pays to choose a specialist furnishing company who can advise right from the initial architectural design stage.

For example, a school wanting shelving and storage for soft and hard cover books, big books, picture books, magazines and puzzles should choose a company that core focus is in this area.

Today’s classrooms prepare students for later life, so providing personal choices in how and where to work mimics the crucial problemsolving, critical thinking and decision-making skills of modern work environments.

Another important consideration, one that is of growing importance to environmentally-conscious schools, is that the materials used come from reputable sources – for example, shelving that is built from plantation-grown, sustainably harvested Radiata Pine and is verified by EnviroSpec.

Karen Hansen, national sales manager for Lundia

Using such products can help a school achieve Green Star rating for its fit-outs.

Term 1 - 2018 schoolnews

35

ADMINISTRATION |

Furniture for the MLE

With school furniture, comfort = concentration Furnware have been manufacturing in New Zealand for over 80 years, but it was our revolutionary Bodyfurn® chair that really changed the game when it came to education.

We’d looked everywhere and couldn’t find any meaningful data that showed how the size and makeup of children had changed over the years.

So, we travelled the country measuring 20,000 children of all shapes and sizes. The results were jaw-dropping and completely changed the

way we designed and built furniture.

We were convinced there was a better way to help students learn – and we found it. Our award-winning Bodyfurn® range was a direct result of the extensive research we undertook. The innovative designs reflected the ways students of all sizes used school furniture.

Bodyfurn® has stood the test of time. This dynamic chair that moves with the student, improving comfort, physical wellbeing, focus and concentration, is just as popular today.

Designing the right space for you and your learners Lundia, a shelving and storage specialist company in New Zealand, has been supplying storage solutions for more than 50 years.

what has been on offer in the past. Karen says Lundia “sticks to what they are good at” - shelving and storage for libraries, resource rooms, administration, whiteboard and storage units for the classroom.

New and refurbished schools themselves are now being rolled out with good design in mind that demands high quality product, says Lundia spokesperson Karen Hansen.

Lundia is being chosen as a preferred product as it provides a difference from

Lundia can get on board with school storage requirements at any point, from working with the architect at the initial design stage or consulting directly with the school to produce the desired outcome that works for the school.

Smart Design + Smarter Thinking 36

schoolnews Term 1 - 2018

0800 860 460 lundia.co.nz

Furniture for the MLE

| ADMINISTRATION

Scholar Furniture launches online store nationwide, along with a best price guarantee and volume discounts.

The Scholar range includes desks, chairs, tables, storage, ottomans and collaboration furniture, along with a huge range of modern staffroom and off ice furniture options.

Scholar Furniture is a New Zealand owned and operated business, part of the well-established Mobel Group (who also operate Modern Off ice and Off ice Furniture Warehouse) and have been in the furniture industry for 11 years.

Brand new to the education furniture market, Scholar Furniture can help your school save money with a wide range of innovative, quality and affordable education furniture.

It’s now even easier to purchase school furniture - Scholar has just launched an online store.

Free freight is offered to urban addresses

Whether you are making the switch to an innovative learning environment or just need a few items to give your classroom a lift or accommodate extra students, Scholar can help.

Buy online or contact their education specialists who can help you design and plan your ideal classroom space.

Term 1 - 2018 schoolnews

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ADMINISTRATION |

Learning Management Systems

The power and potential of Learning Management Systems A Learning Management System (LMS) is a powerful tool that has the potential to transform and enhance both teaching and learning in the classroom. Yet for some teachers, especially those lacking experience or confidence in the use of modern technology, this potential may not be fully realised; indeed, they may be bewildered by the very concept of what an LMS actually is.

In essence, an LMS is a computer software product designed to organise and deliver online learning in schools. For example, an LMS can help the classroom teacher deliver material to students, administer tests and assignments, track student

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progress, and manage recordkeeping; at the whole-school level, the LMS can handle tasks such as student registration, course administration and school-wide record-keeping.

For schools or teachers wishing to make full use of the potential of LMSs, profession opinion on what options will best fulfil teachers’, administrators’ and students’ needs is vital.

Industry perspectives Here, industry expert Alex MacCredie of iQualify for Schools offers his advice.

Learning Management Systems on their own do not empower learning. Learning and achievement are empowered by teacher knowledge of how to apply these tools to their classroom situation.

A teacher who is using an LMS

Alex MacCredie, iQualify

well will find they can capture a greater variety of learning behaviours beyond pen and paper; students can record video or audio, take photos as well as write. Teachers can then store and organise this evidence of learning in an efficient manner, making it easier to decide what to teach and be more effective.

Social channels allow the teacher to communicate with students on individual pathways, linking up ideas and posing questions to challenge students to get more depth to their learning.

This makes a richer personalised learning experience for the student.

Learning Management Systems

A good quality LMS will also provide teachers with a view of each student’s learning progress.

Learning behaviours – such as content completed, questions asked on social channels, and so on – can be tracked, so teachers can make more accurate professional judgements about the performance of their students. Learning can then be personalised, allowing the teacher to focus on learning conferences with groups or individuals.

However, there are three challenges to this.

Firstly, all LMSs require content.

Unless content is provided (and some platforms do so), the teacher will need to spend significant time finding content and then adapting it for their curriculum, in addition to designing learning activities and assessment. This is

not a quick or simple job, and the time pressures on teachers mean that often the result is not ideal or poorly designed – indeed, many teachers are scared away by an unsatisfactory result. This is why many overseas-designed generic LMS platforms have failed to get the grip on the profession that would be expected given their useful features. Education design is a job in itself.

Secondly, the school’s/students’/ community’s IT infrastructure and devices need to up to the task.

This not only includes the school’s internet speeds and connections but also the students’ devices as well. The ideal situation is for every student to have their own device, with the school providing a wireless infrastructure capable of handling the increased traffic across the school. For this reason,

IT budgets need to sensibly managed and resourced.

Finally, these programmes don’t implement themselves: teachers will need to change how they think about planning and teaching to achieve the potential of the programme. Some quick tips for any teacher to remember include: •

be in the course with the students – be visible, post announcements and videos, show you value the system so they will do the same

•

use the social channels to promote discussion and drive up students’ cognitive levels

•

respond to each student quickly when it is their first post – this will encourage them to use the discussion channels more often

| ADMINISTRATION

•

refer to other students to get inclusion of those students who might be shy about using the system

•

decide how you want students to respond: by email, or by downloading a .doc or an image?

•

choose an activity as a mustdo to give feedback on

Any teacher who embraces an LMS and looks into the possibilities it can create in their classroom will find they get the most out it. It is a tool to empower teaching and learning, and enable the teacher to better manage their workload and be more effective; it gives teachers better insights into the learning and allows them to be more specific in their teaching.

By Patrick Whittle

Learning Management system

Transforming classrooms

New Zealand NCEA content

Create or customize content pages, activities and assessments.

Track student progress to improve achievement.

Save time on planning and assessment to be more effective.

For more information visit us at iqualifyschools.co.nz or email info@iqualifyschools.co.nz Term 1 - 2018 schoolnews

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TEACHERS' DESK |

Education Jargon

But what does it actually mean?

How often, as teachers, do you come across written words that just don’t make sense, or in which the meaning is obscure or almost impossible to work out?

You’d think that this is simply part of the job: marking and correcting students’ writing so that they, in turn, can become more proficient communicators. After all, isn’t it a teacher’s role to help students express themselves clearly and meaningfully?

But I’m not discussing students’ work here; rather, I’m talking about all the mind-boggling jargon that seems to be part-and-parcel of modern education – the official written words that teachers are somehow meant to make sense of.

Take the following as an example: Our aim is to: •

•

•

•

cultivate technologyenhanced education within the core curriculum; enhance strategic school-towork programmes throughout multiple modalities; disintermediate synergistic processes via self-reflection; and, repurpose interactive mastery learning within professional learning communities

Most people working within the education system would probably barely bat an eyelid at these sort of statements; they’re a dime a dozen in official documents and publications, in policy declarations, mission statements and curriculum descriptions.

The ironic thing here, however, is that these realistic seeming statements are all simply the random output of an automated jargon writer ( just Google ‘education jargon generator’).

Here’s a few more, just to keep you amused: harness objective interfaces to close the achievement gap; enable compelling strategies through high impact practices; discern intersegmental need-to-

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knows in data-driven schools.

being said in jest?

But should we be amused that such gobbledygook can so easily be mistaken for the ‘real’ thing?

That this sort of techno-babble is exactly what we’ve become used to in official ‘communication’ about all things educational?

Unfortunately, whether we like it or not, we’re often sucked in to using unnecessarily complex language simply because it’s expected: once it’s become the norm to overcomplicate things, anyone who uses clear and simple language stands out, but not necessarily in a good way. ‘Clear and simple’ can come across as unsophisticated or less serious – for example, just think about when you yourself have to pen an official letter (or write a job application); do you really opt for clarity of expression?

Or do you simply play the game, and write in the jargonated style that your audience expects?

Let’s seek clarification about … sorry, I mean let’s ask what exactly is going on.

One explanation, discussed by renown psycholinguist Steven Pinker in his writing guide A Sense of Style, is the “bamboozlement theory” – the idea that “opaque prose is a deliberate choice” in which bureaucrats and academics “spout obscure verbiage to hide the fact that they have nothing to say” or where they “dress up the trivial and obvious with the trappings of scientific sophistication, hoping to bamboozle their audiences with highfalutin gobbledygook”.

Pinker illustrates this argument with a Calvin & Hobbes cartoon in which a school-age character explains his sudden insight into learning to write: “I realised that the purpose of writing is to inflate weak ideas, obscure poor reasoning and inhibit clarity.

With a little practice, writing can become an intimidating and impenetrable fog!”

Clearly, this is all slightly tonguein-cheek – but what’s that old saying about many a true thing

Certainly, with a new government eager to make its mark on the education system, we can anticipate a deluge of ‘highfalutin gobbledygook’ from on high.

But then again, the ‘obscure verbiage’ from politicians is what we’re come to expect: they’re always keen sound as if they have important things to say (while still leaving enough wriggle room to dodge criticism if priorities later change).

There’s probably little we can do beyond shrug our shoulders (and die a little, inside) when we have to wade our way through jargon and gibberish. If nothing else, we should try not to be bamboozled and intimidated.

But being aware of the problem is one defence. As Pinker points

out, the late Denis Dutton, a philosopher at the University of Canterbury, ran an annual ‘Bad Writing Competition’ to raise awareness of how pervasive this sort of language has become – most especially in academia.

As an example, just skim-read this headache-inducing singlesentence ‘Bad Writing’ winning entry, written by an actual human being not a mindless jargon generator. (Warning: Do Not try to make sense of it – life is too short!)

The move from a structuralist account in which capital is understood to structure social relations in relatively homologous ways to a view of hegemony in which power relations are subject to repetition, convergence, and rearticulation brought the question of temporality into the thinking of structure, and marked a shift from a form of Althusserian theory that takes structural totalities as theoretical objects to one in which the insights into the contingent possibility of structure inaugurate a renewed conception of hegemony as bound up with the contingent sites and strategies of the rearticulation of power.

Hopefully, that will provide teachers with some shred of comfort: however dire the drivel we generally deal with, it could be so much worse!

By Patrick Whittle

Kapa Haka

| TEACHING RESOURCES

Kapa haka in mainstream schools – Benefits for non-Māori students Alice Patrick

Tēnā koutou katoa. He uri nō Koterana e mihi nei. Ko Benechie te maunga. Ko Dee te awa. Ko North te moana. Engari, he Māori āku tamariki, nō Ngāti Awa. Aku taura here ki te kaupapa o te reo Māori me te mātauranga Māori ko rātou ko āku mokopuna. Ko Alice Patrick tōku ingoa.

Kapa haka provides an avenue for Māori students to access the Māori world and be culturally-connected learners. It also provides them with a platform for expression, giving them the opportunity to experience success, gain confidence through performance, and step up as leaders and role models.

Through kapa haka, Māori students are able to experience a holistic way of learning – which is conducive to a sense of well-being (hauora).

There are the physical demands requiring stamina, coordination and manipulation of props e.g. poi (te tinana/the body); the cognitive aspect of learning and memorising language (te hinengaro/the mind); the social aspect of coming together (whanaungatanga/ relationships) and performing as one (mahi tahi/cooperating); and the spiritual dimension inherent in many waiata and haka (te wairua/ the spirit).

Benefits for non-Māori students It’s not just Māori students who benefit from kapa haka. Potentially all New Zealand children can benefit because kapa haka provides a conduit to appreciate the unique role of Māori in shaping the New Zealand identity. This is the reason for the visibility of kapa haka at public events overseas, where Māori excellence is show-cased and Māori culture is proudly shared with the world, as part of the branding of Aotearoa New Zealand – to establish meaningful connections with other nations and peoples.

A quote from a respondent

in research conducted by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage highlights the positivity associated with primary school students’ participation in kapa haka: “I am pleased to see so many of our children at primary school learning to do the poi or symbolic kind of haka or something [in] mainstream. I’m really thrilled about that because even though it is really tokenistic at this stage, somehow it embeds an interest, hopefully, or an acknowledgement, or there’s an essence that becomes integrated into that person’s wellbeing.”

Through kapa haka in schools, non-Māori students can learn new words and phrases, while developing an appreciation of how Māori express their values. The fact that the students participate as part of a safe, inclusive group helps to reduce individual anxiety and stress. Moreover, kapa haka cognitively challenges them while teaching them about exercising perseverance and self-discipline – through continued recitation, repetition and memorisation.

Furthermore, they don’t need to have a good singing voice; the group will carry them. Nor do they need to be superbly coordinated; there is a place for everyone – because of the tuakana (older/more experienced):teina (younger/less experienced) approach to learning.

Finally, like their Māori peers, nonMāori students gain confidence from the act of ‘performance’ – which they can carry over to other aspects of their lives.

Implications for schools and teachers The Education Review Office (2011) outlined three main characteristics of schools where the Treaty principle was evident. The first of these is particularly relevant here; namely, that te reo Māori and tikanga are valued and promoted in the school, e.g. through pōwhiri, karakia, and kapa haka.

Creating opportunities for kapa haka is one way that schools can increase their cultural

Ako (demonstrating reciprocal teaching and learning).

responsiveness to Māori students.

It is also a way for teachers to demonstrate some of the cultural competencies in Tātaiako, the Education Council resource that sets out the five cultural competencies needed by teachers to help Māori learners achieve educationally.

Teachers who are open to participating in kapa haka alongside their students are successfully enacting the latter competency ‘ako’. The reality is that, in many cases, the teacher will be less experienced as a kapa haka performer, in the position of being a ‘teina’ (less experienced), learning from some of the students. As such, the traditional power dynamic of the classroom is completely altered – and the teacher becomes a learner.

Four of these competencies are particularly relevant to kapa haka: Manaakitanga (showing respect for Māori beliefs, language and culture); Tangata Whenuatanga (affirming Māori students as Māori – and providing contexts for learning where their language, identity and culture are affirmed);

The challenge is for teachers to transfer to the classroom the learnings from kapa haka – in terms of creating a culturally-responsive learning environment where Māori language and culture is validated, and Māori students can learn as Māori.

Whanaungatanga (actively engaging in respectful relationships with Mäori learners); and

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TEACHING RESOURCES |

Kapa Haka

Personal reflection In my experience working as a Māori language adviser in mainstream schools, I see kapa haka being a non-threatening way for students and teachers to learn about Māori language and culture – provided that the meaning and background of the waiata/haka are understood.

Unfortunately, there are times when I have observed students parroting Māori words with no idea of what they mean, nor the story behind them. A good example is the haka ‘Ka Mate’.

As for my personal experience as a Pākehā involved with kapa haka over many decades, it’s been extremely positive. Kapa haka uplifts the spirit; and it’s fun being part of a group. At the end of each practice, I feel energised and exuberant.

Moreover, I know that I have been cognitively challenged – having had to remember the words of multiple verses, complicated actions, and unfamiliar tunes. This (I’m hoping) will help to stave off dementia in old age!

Interestingly, there is research from Auckland University that suggests participation in kapa haka may help older people to mitigate the risk of dementia – despite facing other disparities and negative health outcomes. The researchers found that kapa haka kept old people’s minds engaged by providing greater cognitive

stimulation in their advancing years, which preserved brain function.

My younger son Hone, who lives in Hong Kong, takes pride in belonging to the Māori cultural group there. It enables him to maintain his connection with home – and with te reo Māori me ōna tikanga (Maori language and culture). It also allows him and other young Māori living there to reconnect each week, in the interests of whakawhanaungatanga.

For them, kapa haka has become their ‘whānau’, providing a sense of belonging. This is important for diaspora living in an individualistic and competitive society like Hong Kong. At kapa haka, they are reminded that the group is more important than the individual.

Also important is that their weekly

kapa haka sessions provide a platform for their tamariki (children) to be exposed to Māori language and culture, albeit informally and by osmosis.

Additional benefits of kapa haka, for all, include: •

affirming our unique identity as New Zealanders

In Hone’s words:

•

“Kapa haka in Hong Kong provides that connection to home and allows my children to begin to understand and appreciate where they are from.

being exposed to Māori values (e.g. whanaungatanga, ako, tuakana:teina)

•

gaining confidence through ‘performance’

•

contributing to our holistic well-being (hauora)

•

learning how to communicate meaning using visual language, e.g., action songs and haka

•

developing physical stamina, fitness and coordination

•

being cognitively challenged due to the demands associated with recitation, repetition and memorisation being part of a team and gaining strength from being in a collective

•

demonstrating discipline and commitment

•

facilitating opportunities for leadership through a tuakana:teina approach

•

promoting personal growth and development.

“It has never just been about ‘performance’ for us; it has always been about whakawhanaungatanga, miles away from home in a foreign land.

“And for those who were not brought up in a Māori setting, it is a safe space to learn – or simply be part of the familiar sounds of home.

“When we started performing at New Zealand events in Hong Kong, we didn’t fully anticipate the feelings that would be stirred up in our audiences, i.e. homesick Kiwis who became emotional and more appreciative of their tūrangawaewae [place of belong].

We knew then that this was more than a cultural performance group.”

Conclusion Bilingual resources – user-friendly for teachers, engaging for students

info@arahiabooks.co.nz www.arahiabooks.co.nz www.alicepatrick.co.nz

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Kapa haka contributes to the revitalisation and promotion of te reo and tikanga Māori. It is a particularly useful and positive vehicle for Māori students to express themselves and experience success as Māori, as a springboard for success in other areas.

Nō reira koutou, kia kaha ki te mahi kapa haka. So ... give kapa haka a go – and experience the many rich benefits.

By Alice Patrick

marae-ā-kura

| TEACHING RESOURCES

School marae and ‘success as Māori’ Dr Hinekura Smith

Marae-ā-kura have created ‘Māori space’ in English medium schools for over 30 years. With over 99 marae-ā-kura across the country, and more being built, the term describes complexes established to create Māori teaching space.

Generally, marae-ā-kura are pan-tribal, with teaching and learning as their central purpose.

This editorial draws attention to marae-ā-kura as important kaupapa Māori institutions and further challenges educators to consider carefully the benefits and inherent responsibilities of establishing and maintaining marae-a-kura in their schools. Although tribal marae (as well as university-based marae) have been well researched, the pedagogy of marae-a-kura are less well understood. Concerned at this paucity of research, and interested in my own student and teacher experience of a marae-ākura, I undertook a Master’s thesis in 2012 - Tiriwā: A school marae and Māori success - while working on a two-year project, Marae-ā-kura: Teaching, learning and living as Māori. Both projects complexify what have become, arguably, common yet often under-utilised spaces in schools.

The emergence of maraeā-kura Driven by Māori teachers, marae-ākura emerged in the 1970s as part of a wider Māori renaissance. Kākāriki Marae at Green Bay High School in West Auckland is acknowledged as the first marae-ā-kura.

Established in 1978, its founding aim was to revitalise te reo Māori and improve the educational outcomes of Māori students. Kākāriki offered Māori space in an English medium setting before Kura Kaupapa Māori was available. Marae-ā-kura typically exist in urban settings to provide an ‘authentic context’ to experience te reo and tikanga Māori and, in recent times, carry the broader responsibility of addressing ‘Māori success’.

... and opportunities One of my research findings heard Yr 10-13 students describe learning at the marae as ‘different’ to learning in a classroom. They said that at the marae: “… it’s a different vibe, you feel more relaxed, more stable. In other classes you get distracted.”

“It’s set up different to a classroom.

We can work on the floor … we go back there at interval and after school to finish our work.”

Marae-ā-kura provide opportunities for students and their whānau to access te ao Māori and develop a positive Māori identity – a key tenet of a ‘Maori succeeding as Maori’ discourse. Māori achievement is often viewed uncritically solely in academic terms, with cultural identity typically overlooked.

Instead, success ‘as Māori’ challenges mainstream education to consider that Māori students should enjoy education success as culturally intact beings able to access global, national and Māori worlds.

Challenges ...

Some marae-ā-kura are purpose built while others utilise surplus classrooms which are improved over time as funds allow within often tight school budgets. If not viewed as important in a school’s

strategic vision, maintaining the physical and cultural space of marae-ā-kura frequently falls on Māori staff, their non-Māori allies and Māori whānau. But if staff and whānau are transient, or if culturally capable Māori staff are not employed to fulfil the necessary roles on the marae or to uphold the tikanga of the marae, who is left to protect and maintain its mana?

Marae-a-kura provide access to te ao Māori for non-Māori students and staff. While marae-ā-kura can develop the consciousness of non-Māori in positive ways if, for example, English dominates during formal marae proceedings or it is used as a general teaching space by teachers unfamiliar with marae tikanga –what of the language, culture and purpose of these kaupapa Māori spaces?

“… you have fun and learn at the same time. That helps me to remember things, to learn things.” “… you definitely wouldn’t run around and throw paper and swear.

That would just be wrong. Not saying that I would in the classroom … but lots of others do!”

A further finding was that Māori whānau felt more encouraged to actively engage in their child’s education via the marae-ā-kura, a site they say where ‘being Māori’ for them and their child is best nurtured.

As establishing marae-ā-kura becomes an increasingly popular ‘solution’ to addressing ‘Māori achievement’, educators are encouraged to think critically about the pedagogy of marae-ākura and consider carefully the role, rewards and responsibilities that these important kaupapa Māori spaces offer by talking with Māori communities, educators and engaging with the small but growing research literature on marae-ā-kura.

For further information on marae-ākura see: Tiriwā: A school marae and Māori success; Smith, L (2012) and Marae-ā-kura: Teaching, learning and living as Māori; Lee, Pihama, Smith (2012).

Dr Hinekura Smith has worked in Māori education for over 20 years, initially as a secondary school te reo Māori teacher then later as a Māori medium professional development facilitator, intial teacher educator and lecturer in education at The University of Auckland.

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TEACHING RESOURCES |

Case Study – Sacred Heart College

The life of a sewing machine at Sacred Heart College Sacred Heard College fashion and design teacher Amber McIntosh tells School News she has been using Bernina sewing machines since she started her teaching career more than 25 years ago, and she recently had the opportunity to participate in a demonstration session.

“I am constantly amazed at how much they can take with students learning how to sew,” she quickly explained. “There are 30 Bernina sewing machines available in the fashion and design classroom at Sacred Heart College. They range in age and include models 1008 and 1011. We also have (two) electronic Bernina sewing machines – B330 and B380.

“Last year, we were lucky to purchase an embroidery sewing machine 580 model.

“I contacted Bernina to meet with Julie Veck and discuss which model would best suit our needs and I had the opportunity to participate in a demonstration session with Anna Hicks at Nancy’s Stitch Studio, giving me the confidence to introduce this machine into my senior courses.

I was very excited about letting the students see what you could do on this machine to decorate garments and textile items.”

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Students’ reaction to the machines Amber told us that high schoolers prefer durable machines that aren’t too easy to break.

“They get worried when they break a needle in Year 9, as they are horrified that they may have seriously ‘broken’ the machine!

The students really appreciate how reliable the Bernina sewing machines are,” she said.

"I often have students ask me if any of the sewing machines are for sale or enquire about buying a Bernina sewing machine themselves and which model I recommend for them. Previously, I have sold school sewing machines and they sell straight away to both staff and students. I have a waiting list at the moment

for the next round of sales!”

Maintenance issues?

“These sewing machines are very resilient and cope with intensive daily use for sometimes up to six hours a day every day of the week. To keep them in good working order, I believe it is important to look after the machines, giving them a clean and an oil each term and then have them serviced annually,” Amber said.

“I also made a new set of covers for the sewing machines last year, which helps to keep the dust off and also give the classroom a whole new look. The sewing machines are all set up permanently in the classroom, so they don’t have to be carried and moved a great deal.”

The life of a sewing machine at Sacred Heart College Every Year 9 student at Sacred Heart College participates in fashion and design for a term.

“This provides students with the basic skills to use the sewing machine and simple fabric decoration techniques, such as applique and embroidery. Students learn how to adjust the sewing machine dials to create decorative stitches to use when making simple textile items such as pencil case, lunch bag, or softie,” Amber said.

“From Year 10 through to Year 13, students can choose to study fashion and design and the techniques learnt increase in their degree of difficulty as the students

Case Study – Sacred Heart College

advance through the year levels.

In Year 10, students are introduced to Bernina accessories like the zipper foot and buttonhole foot.

They develop the confidence to change the needle and use twin needles and ballpoint needles. The students create pyjama shorts, a small quilt, a decorated hoodie and a recycled denim item as part of the course. In Year 10, students are introduced to the overlocker and the girls are always impressed with the professional finish it gives to garments.

“Senior students have the opportunity to use the B330 and B380 model sewing machines to complete automatic buttonholes, decorative stitches when applying designs to garments and the walking foot to do quilting or sewing with heavy weight fabrics.

However, they complete the majority of the construction on

| TEACHING RESOURCES

my courses, providing advice about suitable accessories to be used, and recommended sewing machines to purchase when updating older models,” Amber said. the 1008/1011 models. By this stage the girls are very confident in their use and knowledge of these sewing machines and have a good understanding of how the machine needs to be adjusted to complete different tasks. They also enjoy the opportunity to use new accessories such as the blind hemming foot, invisible zipper foot, presser feet with non-stick soles, different sewing machine needles and threads “As part of the routine of my classroom environment, I encourage students to work in the same work space for the duration of the course. Students become

comfortable with using a particular sewing machine and develop the self-confidence to try new techniques and enthusiastic to learn more about what the sewing machine is capable of.”

Why Bernina? And the upskilling journey “I have taught fashion and design in the Waikato and Wellington regions in New Zealand and have developed rewarding working relationships with Bernina representatives in both locations.

I have always found them to be more than happy to support the projects being offered in

“I have also participated in valuable professional learning opportunities facilitated by Bernina staff and have introduced the new skills and knowledge gained in my courses.

“I would love to see Bernina provide regular professional development workshops for teachers on how to use the new sewing machine models and different accessories. I often feel limited by my experience with the machines and would appreciate regular upskilling in the capabilities of both the old models and newer electronic ones.”

By Rosie Clarke, Managing Editor

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TEACHING RESOURCES |

Theatre, Musicals and the Stage

Life skills centre stage with high school performance Staging a school drama production may seem a daunting task, but according to Warren Flanagan of Northmead Creative and Performing Arts High School it’s a task well-worth the benefits to students, teachers, and the wider school community. School News caught up with Mr Flanagan to demystify the process and help equip teachers for taking on a student cast.

SB: What are the legal considerations for putting on musicals? Copyright for songs and plays and what about if students write the play?

WF: In many cases, you have to apply for the rights to use creative content. Necessary rights vary in cost depending on the musical or play. Hal Leonard Australia provides all information on rates and fees, rehearsal material and orchestral material.

If students write their own material they have to make sure their work is original and does not plagiarise other works, this also includes using iconic characters or branding such as Mickey Mouse as you have to seek approval for the use.

Almost every song, musical or play which is performed in public are subject to the payment of royalties and this includes excerpts, except in cases where copyright in not required because the period of protection has expired (70 years after the artist’s death).

Warren Flanagan

However, you can create adaptations from stories, for example creating a modern adaptation of a Shakespearean play as plays by Shakespeare, Wilde and many other pre-twentieth century plays can be performed freely without obtaining a licence.

You don’t need a licence if your production will be performed only for students and staff as part of your usual school activities, within school hours and no outside guests will be present.

You do need a licence if the production will be public. That means anyone who is not a current student or staff member at the school will be present (whether or not they have to pay for a ticket) or the performance will take place outside of normal school hours.

You can use songs in your devised play, however you still need to seek approval and buy the licencing rights to have the songs played during your production. APRA AMCOS New Zealand provides information on licensing rights for music. However, students can write their own musical score as there are no licensing rights for originality.

My advice is to do both (scripted and devised) for experience as you learn new things along the way. Producing a play or musical is never the same as there are always challenges to face. The remarkable thing about producing a student devised work is the satisfaction of witnessing a student’s creative production coming to life on stage.

The Ministry of Education provides guidelines for schools: www.tki.org. nz/Copyright-in-schools/Guidelinesfor-schools.

SB: How does costume provision work these days – not so many stay at home parents to sew on sequins and ruffles?

WF: Sourcing costumes from Op shops, and sites like eBay are the

best, as you find things that save you time. Get in contact with local theatre groups and schools that may have a costume wardrobe they are willing to lend, rent, or in some cases, donate. Seek, ask and you shall receive.

Advertise within your school community for a group to help out with costuming. You’ll be surprised how many parents or grand-parents will be interested to attend, bringing an array of creative skills.

SB: What sorts of AV equipment is required for a school to put on quality performances? Is it just a PA? What about lighting?

WF: For a quality performance, I would seek out equipment to mic the stage properly for effective audio projection. This may require an assessment of the performance space and venue making sure the audio equipment would satisfy the acoustics and there is a clear balance for the performers as well as the audience. Hiring equipment for audio can be costly, however some companies are willing to negotiate to give you the best.

I believe lighting is very important as it creates the ambience and atmosphere with in a production.

Once again lighting hire companies are willing to help, patching in lights with special effects, and will even demonstrate how to operate and cue lights into the lighting desk.

World-class kit makes school performance the main event Jamie Cashmore of Edwards Sound Lighting and AV says there is no one-size-fits-all solution for school theatre audiovisual requirements. With variables including space dimensions, audience size, types of performances, and budget; he says expert advice is vital.

“Quotes and designs are usually

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provided at no cost – if you can supply a scale drawing of the venue we can really help,” Mr Cashmore notes.

He says school theatre is becoming more ‘professional’, with increased performance skill from children and greater access to world-class equipment that rivals the set-up at the local theatre.

“Schools can buy the base equipment (permanently installed speaker system) and rent peripherals or one-off required pieces of kit,” he explains.

He says when a school partners with Edwards, they benefit from 50 years in business, talented staff; and access to partner companies (and installers) all over Australasia, who are dedicated to

providing the right solution every time, and backing it up.

“For spare parts, repairs, expanding on the original purchase, or simply support; we are there.”

A tailored audio solution capable of taking your school’s events to the next level.

With over 40 years crafting high quality sound systems, D.A.S. Audio offers a range of products for schools of all sizes and budgets. Each system is designed to meet your unique needs, so contact us today for a complimentary consultation.

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TEACHING RESOURCES |

Theatre, Musicals and the Stage

Visual projections are a great way to utilise the stage to add to a set creating depth or even a minimalist effect.

the show to run smoothly.

Overall you can hire an operator for lighting and sound. Try and provide students with the opportunity to learn new skills in production elements such as lighting and audio systems.

WF: Only if they enjoy it. However, I do believe every student should give performance a go because they’ll discover something about themselves. Even if they didn’t do well, they can learn to laugh at themselves and develop resilience.

It’s all about experience.

SB: What are the benefits for students derived from participating in performancebased activities at school?

WF: Whether a student seeks a career in the industry or not, the benefits gained are life skills.

Drama teaches students to explore universal concepts and develop skills such as improvisation. It develops confidence in students and a self-belief in knowing how to present themselves to others.

Performing provides students with this skill and it prepares them for similar scenarios like job interviews, presenting and auditions, which are all improvised situations; unscripted.

Back stage roles can be offered to less extroverted students, however, these students need to be effective communicators, as they are the spine of the performance, which provides the support required for

SB: Should all students give performance a go or are some students just not suited?

SB: What are the biggest issues you face with directing/ producing live performance with children or teenagers?

WF: The biggest issue is commitment and dedication to the production. Rehearsals take up a lot of time and some students are unaware of the time needed to produce a production. I’ve had to recast due to lack of commitment.

SB: What else should teachers consider before producing live performance projects at school?

WF: Teachers should know their students well and effectively communicate with parents about the expectations of the performance and rehearsal process. Keep your principal well-informed about all processes and developing ideas.

Simple ideas can turn into a big mess with students who don’t

communicate to their parents effectively. Use every form of communication. Email, notices, verbal, meetings etc.

SB: Can you tell us about a recent performance you have produced with your students?

WF: In 2016, we produced William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. I had a drama company numbering 42; 20 boys and 22 girls. The dilemma was to find a play that would suit a large cast. As difficult as it was, Lord of the Flies came to mind as it is studied within our junior English curriculum. I decided to split the cast along gender lines and stage two productions, which served to create inclusivity, regardless of gender.

The challenging, yet rewarding part was the process of adapting the play to the female cast. The female cast went into a writing process to rework the script from a female perspective. The workshopping process was derived from the question: ‘Would girls act differently on the island? This led our female students into a study of human behaviour and defining differences between boys and girls and exploring how they would approach confronting issues.

Characters names were changed

Photos supplied by Warren Flanagan

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and even characteristics had to adopt a female flair. My female students loved this process of reworking a script and so did the school audience. The male students’ performance was remarkable and full of violence and suspense.

Devoted fans of the play supported the male version, as it was true to the script, which made our female cast concerned that their version would not do the story justice, though this expectation was far from correct. The audience found the violence performed by the girls far more confronting. My female students wanted to express that bullying and violence amongst girls is just as savage as boys, but society is used to seeing males fight, while females fighting seeming to be more confronting and awful to witness.

My students workshopped the fight choreography, learning stage combat, which they enjoyed. The production received praise from the staff and students who felt that our adaptations of the play brought a new creative and confronting light to William Golding’s concept of displaying human ugliness.

We adopted a new title for our productions, calling them: Kill the Beast- an adaptation of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies.

By Suzy Barry, Industry Reporter

Theatre, Musicals and the Stage

| TEACHING RESOURCES

Strong customised staging solutions for a stellar event Lloyd Sutton of Stronglite Staging says schools are producing more technically intricate shows: “With professional assistance from an experienced company, schools are achieving exceptional results.”

He says set requirements vary: “Depending on the show and venue, multiple levels requiring access may be required. Steps, windows, bridges or ramps can all be created via a safe structure, designed to suit the particular needs of the show.”

He says this is where experience is vital “to achieve a safe, successful, stellar event”.

With many years of experience in TV, theatre and event production, Mr Sutton says Stronglite Staging has everything from grandstands/ audience seating and catwalks to flat, stable and exceptionally strong stages, up to the most demanding Kapa Haka event.

“In this time of heightened

health and safety regulations, it is important that schools work with a company that provides professional, top quality equipment and has the experience and technical ability required to assess the school’s requirements and provide the best solution for their event,” he concluded.

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www.stronglite.co.nz Term 1 - 2018 schoolnews

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TEACHING RESOURCES |

Online Literacy

Online and on-task with reading and writing To an older generation, the very idea of literacy in schools would immediately bring to mind paper and pencils and exercise books.

But just think how today’s generation of students – bought up on home computers, smart phones, personal devices and the like – would react if confronted with this old-fashioned technology.

To a modern child, the traditional methods of teaching literacy might seem, at best, daunting – at worst, confusing or uninspiring.

Where is the instant response and feedback provided by the technology that they are used to? How can they monitor their own progress and share their achievements with others as they can online?

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A research-proven approach for students of all abilities Year 1 ̶ 6 Skill Level

With reading, for example, this does not mean we should abandon the good old library book – but it does mean that educators must think deeply about how modern technology can assist student learning in different ways than that provided by traditional methods.

This is why Online Literacy Tools are making such in-roads into the modern educational environment – especially, by both catering for modern students’ expectations and, if properly used, considerably extending the teacher’s capacity as a reading facilitator. A good

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schoolnews Term 1 - 2018

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online literacy programme, for instance, can allow a teacher to easily manage a classful of learners, all working at their own reading level – even if every student is at a different level.

Diagnosis and feedback In addition, programmes are increasingly able to provide diagnostic information, assessing progress at each stage and providing instant feedback and reinforcement for learners (as well as alerting the teacher to any diff iculties individual students may be experiencing).

Online Literacy

| TEACHING RESOURCES

Supplier Profile | Reading Plus

In this way, online literacy programmes can ease the wholeclass workload on teachers, thus allowing them to more easily focus on specific individuals or issues – as well as providing ‘student agency’, in which learners themselves are in control of their own learning.

Internet-based literacy programmes can also be multiplatform – that is, able to be used across a range of devices (e.g., iPads and tablets). In addition, programmes that are accessible in the students’ homes outside school hours can extend student engagement with literacy tasks (and thus further enhance their learning).

Such online software also allows programmes to be automatically up-dated and for personalised learning pathways to be followed by individual students (again saving both learners and teachers time to concentrate on other literacy-learning activities).

The main additional role of the teacher with online literacy tools is then that of regularly monitoring student activity and on-line behaviour, and providing any additional support, resources or instruction as and when required.

Literacy progression At the whole-school level, the crucial issue is to provide structure and continuity with online literacy tools so that a ‘literacy progression’ extends all the way through a student’s school career.

At the same time, however, teachers also need the flexibility to customise programmes to support particular student or class needs.

Again, this requires thorough investigation of programme/ software options and long-term planning on the part of school administrators.

In short, online literacy programmes should be used as an additional educational tool in the classroom – not to replace traditional teaching, but to support it. Used properly, online literacy tools can cater to students’ individual requirements while improving achievement and

increasing engagement, at the same time as encouraging even the most reluctant students to self-manage their own learning.

Industry perspectives Janine Trembath is the business manager for the I.T. Education Company (ITECNZ) which distributes software to support literacy learning. Here, she provides her expert opinion on what schools should look for with Online Literacy Tools.

Implementation of a literacy programme is a long-term investment. As such, it is worth selecting a resource that can grow with students, and automatically personalise instruction to their specific needs.

A growing focus on vocabulary and fluency is a recent trend in literacy programmes design. Wellresearched programmes are also now incorporating growth mindset strategies, and being smart about how they use explicit and implicit motivation to ensure students are engaged.

The ‘Reading Plus’ Advantage “Reading fluency is highly correlated with improved comprehension, especially in older readers.” (Rasinksi, Padak, McKeon, Wilfong, Friedauer & Heim, 2005).

Do your students have the silent reading fluency and comprehension skills required to meet the demands of NCEA exams and beyond?

When students are reading silently, we would not traditionally have expected class teachers to be able to concurrently:

identifying class and student instructional needs.

D) To greatly improve and track student reading mileage and fluency.

E) To explicitly enhance vocabulary and improve reading stamina.

NOW... with ‘Reading Plus’ this is all possible… growing students who see reading as a valuable means of cultivating knowledge, insight and joy.

A) Provide each student with a choice of appropriately levelled, high interest texts, at every reading session.

B) To ask each student 10 comprehension related questions following every reading session.

C) To mark and analyse comprehension responses,

Students can work with minimal supervision on most online programmes, but online resources do not replace good teachers.

Students will only significantly benefit from online programmes when regular usage is combined with proactive teacher engagement.

Choose research-proven programmes that cover wide skill sets, enabling whole-class or even school-wide implementation.

These programmes should identify specific skill areas a student may be struggling in, and provide targeted resources that help teachers to focus instruction where it is most needed.

Finally, it’s important to understand the difference between ‘research-proven’ and ‘research-based’ resources.

Research-proven programmes have been scientifically tested and proven to work, rather than merely being research based.

Ideally educators should select a ‘research-proven’ programme.

By Patrick Whittle Term 1 - 2018 schoolnews

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STEAM

Full STEAM ahead for 21st century citizens The world is rapidly changing, and it is widely acknowledged that 21st century citizens and workers will increasingly require skills that many schoolleavers and graduates don’t currently possess, most especially in maths and science, and in the ability to apply knowledge to solve the ever-evolving demands of modern life.

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into the established science- and maths-orientated subject areas.

Prompted by a desired to allow greater access to STEM for all types of learners, the inclusion of Arts provides opportunities for educators and students to use Arts principles and practices, such as communication and expression, in their otherwise technically-focused teaching and learning. A key aim here is to produce well-rounded and wellgrounded global citizens for the coming century.

Most teachers will already be familiar with the education system’s response to this challenge: STEM – an integrated approach to the teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, aimed at developing students’ skills in critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, innovation, communication, collaboration and entrepreneurship.

Nevertheless, the new STEAM still reflects the existing STEM ethos, particularly in its commitment to providing motivating, engaging and realworld contexts in which students can acquire and apply meaningful mathematical and scientific skills and understanding. Teaching methods continue to be enquirybased and student-centred, with teamwork and communication a major focus.

Yet with the pace of the technological revolution becoming even hotter, STEM has now morphed into STEAM through incorporating the Arts

School News has asked four industry experts to provide their perspective on how the various elements of STEAM could or should be used in schools.

schoolnews Term 1 - 2018

Industry perspectives Julie Baker, education manager from the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) in Auckland, provides a historical perspective of technology in schools, and emphasises the importance of “keeping it real” Remember the 1990s, when computers were the new thing in schools? We all got excited about the need for students to learn how to use the new technology, we collected shopping receipts and cashed them in for computing hardware, we housed our shiny hardware in specialised computer rooms and timetabled our students to learn about trackball mice and Excel spreadsheets.

It took us a while to get our heads around the difference between Technology in Education (learning about the computer) and Educational Technology (using the computer for learning), but when we eventually did we took the computer from the pedestal we had created for it, dis-established computer rooms and relegated computers to being just another a tool for learning. We changed the focus from learning about the

computer to learning with the computer.

This progression wasn’t a wasted journey for us, the process we went through was necessary for us to gain knowledge of the computer itself while developing an understanding of its potential to revolutionise education and learning. The journey was as important as arriving at the destination.

When I look at what we are currently doing with robotics and coding, I think we are in a similar situation. At this early stage, we’re a bit dazzled by the novelty and the challenge of learning about robotics – for example, what code needs to be written to navigate our shiny robot around the maze, to make it turn at precisely the right point, to turn on the lights and sound effects?

We need to spend a bit of time playing with the hardware as this is a necessary part of gaining knowledge and developing our understanding. We’re at the start of our journey, figuring out the nuts and bolts, making our first stuttering attempts at speaking the language, mastering the rules and conventions.

STEAM

| TEACHING RESOURCES

Supplier Profile | The Mind Lab by Unitec

Making STEM real at The Mind Lab by Unitec The Mind Lab by Unitec’s Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Practice brings together educators to learn and understand more about digital and collaborative learning, including how to integrate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects into the classroom through real world examples, while encouraging creativity and diversity.

Dr David Parsons, The Mind Lab National Postgraduate Director, says the postgraduate programme brings in STEM elements such as computational thinking, electronics, robotics, 3D design and agile and lean methodologies adapted from industry, tailoring each to the needs of teachers in the classroom.

David says, “For instance, the electronics and robotics we teach is very much about what you can do in the classroom with students. We use the Makey Makey circuit board to allow teachers to explore engaging activities that form direct

...These days, STEM is often extended to STEAM to include ‘Arts’. In the STEAM context, art is all about bringing creativity into the technology space... connections between physical activities and computer coding, and provide experiences of different types of robotics to cater for different year levels. We facilitate learning around these areas and encourage educators to consider their own class and how they would translate this into their own practice.”

When teaching STEM, The Mind Lab has a vision of inclusivity. Some of the classroom activities are drawn from Linda Liukas’ book ‘Hello Ruby Adventures in Coding’. Linda is a Finnish computer programmer, children’s writer and programming instructor whose work encourages every child to take up programming.

“We deliberately took some ideas out

of this book and adapted them for teachers, to make it fun and inclusive.

In one activity we teach algorithms through modified dance moves,” says David.

These days, STEM is often extended to STEAM to include ‘Arts’. In the STEAM context, art is all about bringing creativity into the technology space.

Milla Inkila, The Mind Lab’s Postgraduate Director in the Waikato, says, “While working in IT I saw the best innovations and outcomes rise from the collaboration between different mindsets and diverse team members.

A designer’s art background made, in many instances, the biggest impact, and real customers need to be part of the

team too. I quite like the idea of STREAM, where R stands for Reality. While we could just keep adding letters, I think all learning deserves to be real and meaningful.”

Shanon O’Connor, The Mind Lab Centre Director Gisborne, says, “STEAM is a great interdisciplinary approach that engages students with hands on active learning opportunities grounded or framed around real world problems.

The Mind Lab’s constructivist and constructionist style of teaching and learning creates opportunities for learners to think critically and creatively; and encourages learners to collaboratively problem solve and be innovative.”

About The Mind Lab by Unitec Now with 30+ locations, The Mind Lab

by Unitec has taught more than 3,000 educators and over 100,000 children. It has a vision of transforming education for students and redefining professional development for teachers.

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TEACHING RESOURCES |

But what’s exciting is the next stage in the journey, when what’s now novel becomes commonplace and the dazzle of the new has dimmed. The exciting questions for this near-future are, what will our students do once they have completed the navigation challenge, learned how to speak ‘code’ and mastered the discipline of computational thinking? What will they achieve when they put their new knowledge to work in authentic, real situations? What is possible when we change the focus from learning about robotics to learning with robotics?

The Mind Lab by Unitec postgraduate director Lucie Lindsay assesses the challenges and the potential for educators of the interdisciplinary nature of STEAM Increasingly, STEAM - science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics – are identified as essential future-focused knowledge and skills. Educators are challenged to integrate STEAM in interdisciplinary approaches with problemsolving, creativity, analytical and critical-thinking, and innovation.

At the same time, schools are challenged to integrate meaningful, interdisciplinary STEAM learning challenges via

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STEAM

provide teachers with:

makerspaces, robotics and code club initiatives.

With this in mind, a key consideration for teachers is what new pedagogical approaches, innovative uses of technologies and upskilling is needed to design interdisciplinary STEAM challenges.

In addition to being aware of the current and predicted skill shortages, teachers have a key role to play promoting STEAM opportunities – and for making them accessible to diverse societal groups, and for all students, irrespective of gender or socioeconomic status.

As STEAM learning is increasingly incorporated in education, future STEAM teaching and learning will benefit from innovative approaches that use immersive environments, gamification and simulations.

Derek Weir, business manager (science) at Delta Educational, discusses how teachers are addressing the ever-increasing demands of technology, and how newly developed app-based resources are an exciting innovation In a world that is rapidly moving toward more advanced technology, New Zealand teachers are in need of equipment and applications that engage students in a fun and interactive way. From our experience as a supplier, these teachers include: those who find that technology is advancing past their training, those who are adept at using technology, those who are ‘keeping up’, and those who are challenged by technology but who are keen to get stuck in.

This is why we are very excited about new STEAM products, along with the free apps, that

•

fun and interactive ways to bring coding to life

•

curriculum-aligned lesson plans and projects

•

an intuitive visual, flowbased coding app tailored for any classroom or ability level

•

easy-to-install, wireless Bluetooth products

•

Mac, iOS, Android and Windows compatible

•

website support & video call training

•

versatile technology that can be used across a variety of subjects

Products aligned with international education standards will ensure New Zealand teachers’ projects and lesson plans can be used across the curriculum to benefit all teachers and students.

Providing the tools and support to make the most of the lessons will make learning interactive and engaging. Fun for students and fun for teachers – win-win!

While mathematics may be the last subject in the STEAM acronym, Margi Leech from Numicon explains why maths is actually first among equals in the STEAM approach to teaching and learning.

Maths is so clear when you can see and touch the pa�erns and rela�onships

• Fully supports the New Zealand Curriculum Levels 1 –4 • All strands covered and fully integrated for Years 1-8 • Comprehensive Teaching Handbook • Forma�ve Assessment built-in “Mathema�cs is the explora�on and use of pa�erns and rela�onships in quan��es, space, and �me.”

- NZ curriculum

• • • • • •

Exci�ng results every year for all students Supports inclusive educa�on Accelera�on and interven�on Addi�ve and Mul�plica�ve thinking is intrinsic Propor�onal thinking so easy to illustrate Maths is all about rela�onships!

Contact: margi@numicon.co.nz Email for a free sample using this code: SN-02-2018

NUMICON.CO.NZ

TEACHING RESOURCES |

STEAM

MOTAT’s mobile ‘STEAM Cell’ brings STEAM education experiences to students within their normal school environment.

Maths is the language of everything around us.

According to the New Zealand Curriculum, mathematics explores and uses patterns and relationships in quantities, space, and time, while statistics does the same with data.

Both mathematicians and statisticians use symbols,

graphs, and diagrams to find and communicate patterns and relationships, and to create models to represent both reallife and hypothetical situations from a range of social, cultural, scientific, technological, health, environmental, and economic contexts.

This says it all: without maths knowledge and skills, a person is

The STEAM philosophy is based on students gaining hands-on technical experience, such as using construction kits and design processes.

may be in a different style of learning rather than the overemphasised approach of mental processing and using a wide variety of strategies to solve problems. We also know that students benefit greatly with music and art in their lives, which enhances their appreciation and the context of the arts in the sciences fields.

limited in meaningful exploration of the sciences. Universities are on the lookout for students interested in their world, not just in their given subject but particularly in related subjects – the sciences, technology and most of all maths.

Sadly, thousands of students believe they are hopeless at maths, but really their strengths

Supplier Profile | Delta Educational Supplies Ltd

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One kit... All STEAM subjects SAM empowers students to unleash their inventive potential through play – and learn STEAM without realizing it. The possibilities are endless!

What is SAM? Sam is the way forward for teaching the five STEAM subjects. SAM is an award-winning smart construction kit utilising blocks that connect wirelessly to the SAM App while learning about Data capture, programming logic and more.

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SAM introduces the Internet of Things getting every student aged seven or older excited about Technology. Students don’t need programming knowledge; all they need is an idea!

Each Sam block has a specific skill: buttons, lights, sensors, motors and so much more!

One block, a million possibilities! Kits come

with easy wireless set-up and project guides to help you get started.

See the amazing PROJECT videos at https:// www.samlabs.com/ . Free downloadable lesson plans (25+) and supporting materials are created for educators by educators.

Sam’s Steam Kit is the ultimate starter kit to bring SAM into your classroom; conveniently packed in a Gratnells SmartCase. That’s it, that is SAM. Got it?

Special introductory price of $875.00 until April 13th, 2018.

NZ’s exclusive distributor of SAM. Delta Educational Supplies Ltd https://www.deltaed.co.nz

STEAM

| TEACHING RESOURCES

STEM

EDUCATION ON THE MOVE

We know that organising an out-of-school visit for your students is a lot of hard work; getting permission, organising parent supervisors and paying for transport all require time and effort – so don’t do it!

A MOTAT STEAM Cell is a trailer packed full of equipment, teaching resources and collection items designed to offer an education experience on your school site.

‘NAO’ is a 58cm tall, autonomous, and fully programmable robot that can walk, talk, listen and even recognise faces.

Teachers should make sure that the resources they use reflect the curriculum, especially the full statement in the NZ Curriculum paraphrased above.

Most especially, teaching and assessment should not be limited to the mental ability of all students. To expect all children to work out maths computations out in their heads is creating a barrier for those students who are often ‘big picture thinkers’ and who love the sciences – students with dyscalculia and dyslexia fall into this category.

Thousands of students are going into high school with very low maths achievement, and this

A STEAM Cell can provide a ‘taster’ experience for a larger group of students e.g. you might want an entire year level to engage in a short duration educational session.

is beginning to have a major impact at technology centres and education at university where the lecturers are having to teach primary and early maths to increasing numbers of students.

A STEAM Cell can provide a deeper education experience for a smaller group of students e.g. a single class might use the resources in a STEAM Cell to explore an experience in depth.

More schools are opting out of the Numeracy Project as the ‘be all and end all’ of maths education. The results with other programmes, especially those based on using structured manipulatives and a spiral approach, are very exciting, with students making progress to match other successful countries.

Steam Cells topics currently available include:

A STEAM Cell means you don’t have to pay for buses or organise parent helpers – suddenly EOTC just got so much easier.

Design Thinking - design process, prototyping, product design and testing.

Computational Thinking – programming and robotic control. Arcade game development.

Collaborative Thinking – an Escape Game challenge.

For more information go to www.motat.org.nz/steamcell

By Patrick Whittle Term 1 - 2018 schoolnews

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TEACHING RESOURCES |

Smart Classrooms

Advice for modern classroom design? Get smart The digital environment, with 24/7 access to the internet via phones and mobile devices, and information immediately available, is the one that today’s generation of students have grown up in. Modern smart classrooms, therefore, not only reflect the existing digital knowledge and expectations of 21st century learners, but also the increasingly technology-based world outside the classroom.

In effect, smart classrooms can be seen as the amalgamation of the technology used by the teacher and at the front of the class (e.g., projectors), and the technology used by the students (e.g., laptops), plus the physical environment (e.g., furniture or charging stations) that facilitate the successful use of this technology.

Yet the simple addition of smart boards, digital projectors, laptops, tablets, or any other technological paraphernalia into a traditional classroom does not transform it into a smart classroom. Like the ‘pen and paper’ technology of yesteryear,

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a modern laptop, say – or any similar device – is simply a tool for learning, one that must be used and supported appropriately.

Smart classrooms are designed to nurture and encourage students’ curiosity and desire to learn not because of the technology involved but via how this technology is effectively employed. And while both successful smart and traditional classrooms are ones

where teacher and students interact collaboratively in the physical space of the classroom, with the smart classroom this extends to the virtual space made available via computer technology.

The knock-on effects of the virtual space created by a smart classroom – one in which every student can access a device – includes many positives, including: •

teaching/learning across

different levels, all at the same time •

student control over the pace of learning

•

content readily available and regularly updated

•

increasing student familiarity with work-relevant technology and contexts

•

inculcating the behaviours of good digital citizens

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TEACHING RESOURCES |

Used effectively, smart classrooms can improve students’ academic improvement through engaging them more fully (as well as exposing them to technology used in modern workplaces) while providing both them and the teacher with immediate feedback on their learning progress.

But to be effective, a smart classroom also needs: •

an adequate number of machines

•

ongoing hardware support and repair (with the later including provision for replacement ‘loan’ units while existing ones are serviced)

•

appropriate and consistent software (e.g., the programs and content)

•

adequate classroom infrastructure, power outlets, wifi, etc

•

appropriate classroom furnishings and furniture layout

•

ongoing teacher training and support

•

well thought-out and consistent teaching methodology

While choice of equipment – individual touchscreens and multi-touch displays, say, or group touch tables and teaching stations – are school-wide priorities, so too is appropriate professional development for the schools’ teachers, those who must competently and confidently guide students’ use of the equipment itself.

Teachers need and desire ongoing training with the hardware and software they are expected to use, and in the teaching methodologies

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Smart Classrooms

they are expected to employ; in other words, an effective smart classroom needs teacher ‘buy-in’.

Of course, expert advice is needed so that schools make the right decisions about how to create or enhance effective smart classrooms, and often numerous product suppliers will be required to give input: hardware specialists (for the physical computers, projectors, etc.), software and program specialists, equipment suppliers (especially those offering rental or leasing options), and so on.

Industry perspectives Here, School News focuses on one of the key components of a modern smart classroom, the front-of-class TV or projector that provides an interface between teacher and students. We ask Epson New Zealand’s business manager (visual solutions), Mike Conza, to explain what factors need to be taken into account when choosing an appropriate

smart classroom TV or projector.

With today’s classrooms becoming more technology based, it’s still important to get the basics right when it comes to the size of the classroom’s TV or projector image as this is generally the point of focus of the material being taught to students. In many classrooms, the presented image is either too low so those students not in the front row struggle to see the lower third of the content or the image itself is too small for a good proportion of the students to read clearly.

Research recently conducted in the USA indicated that over half of the students in an average classroom could not fully read content on a 70” flat panel TV. Where image size generally goes wrong is that a decision is made based on a person’s TV viewing experience at home. Where this comes unstuck is that content being viewed at home is video-based – with minimal text to read – or what is considered ‘passive viewing’. In the classroom,

by contrast, the bulk of the content presented is text-based, meaning a bigger image is required for all students to see the content clearly.

A 4/6/8 rule is used by audio/visual professionals to determine the correct size display for the intended space.

Here is how the rule works: •

for analytical viewing, the farthest viewing distance should be no more than 4x the height of the image

•

for basic viewing (which covers the typical content shown in a classroom), the farthest viewing distance should be no more than 6x the height of the image

•

for passive viewing (i.e., video content), the farthest viewing distance should be no more than 8x the height of the image.

By Patrick Whittle

Book Reviews

e h t o t w Ne shelf book

| TEACHING RESOURCES

I Am Jellyfish

By Ruth Paul Penguin Random House

The Anzac Violin

Chased to the depths of the bottomless blue, what does a tiny Jellyfish do?

A captivating bedtime story by award-winning picture book creator Ruth Paul, with luminous and eye-catching illustrations. The language is evocative of the undersea environment, and the characteristics of the jellyfish, swordfish, and squid are captured simply and perfectly. This delightfully funny bedtime story has a glow-in-the-dark cover for kids to discover.

Myths and Legends of Aotearoa

By Annie Rae Te Ake Ake Scholastic This refreshed and revised edition of Annie Rae Te Ake Ake’s retellings of ancient Māori myths and legends, which has been a popular seller for nearly 20 years is a welcome revival of an old favourite.

These stories are perfectly suited for reading aloud in the best oral tradition, illustrated by selected talented young New Zealand artists from Kerikeri in the north to Dunedin in the south.

Granny McFlitter the Champion Knitter

Granny McFlitter’s family have had enough of her knitting. But when a ship runs aground, spilling oil into the sea, a call goes out for small jumpers for the shivery rescued penguins. It’s the moment Granny has been waiting for!

Based on true events, a lively picture book about a sprightly granny who knits warm jumpers for little blue penguins after the oil spill following the wrecking of the Rena, with illustrations by the winner of the Storylines Gavin Bishop Award.

The violin that went to war.

More than 20 years after publication of the classic NZ story, The Bantam and the Soldier, Jennifer Beck and Robyn Belton have joined forces again to produce another heart-warming story from the First World War. This time it’s the true story of Otago’s Alexander Aitken and the violin that travelled with him on his wartime journey, bringing music and solace to his fellow ANZACs.

Nicketty-Nacketty Noo-Noo-Noo

By Joy Cowley Scholastic

By Heather Haylock Penguin Random House A sparkling environmental story with award-winning illustrations that is sure to warm hearts and feathers.

By Jennifer Beck and Robyn Belton Scholastic

Bobby the Littlest War Hero

By Glyn Harper Penguin Random House This is the story of Bobby – the littlest hero in a very big war.

Bobby is a tiny canary. His best friend is Jack, a soldier in one of the tunnelling companies of the Royal Engineers. Together they go deep into the tunnels under no-man’s-land. Jack’s job is to dig, while Bobby’s job is to warn the men to get out quickly when there’s dangerous gas. Bobby’s warnings save the tunnellers’ lives again and again.

There once was an ogre called Gobbler Magoo who lived in a swamp where wild weeds grew. Nicketty-nacketty, noo-noonoo.

But the wee woman’s stew was much more than tasty. This traditional tale, which originated in Scotland, is skilfully retold by one of New Zealand’s favourite children’s authors in this delightfully illustrated picture book.

A classic, much-loved picture book from Joy Cowley, New Zealand’s leading children’s book author. Beautifully illustrated and ideal for reading aloud, it is based on a traditional Scottish rhyme. First published in 1996, this has been newly redesigned for a new generation.

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TEACHING RESOURCES |

School Broadcasting

Broadcast streaming – a sign of things to come School Broadcasting has come a long way from a simple speaker system in the classroom.

School broadcasting set-ups now include computer and editing suites – where students can produce production quality audio and visual content – and media streaming, with news and notices able to be delivered to screens throughout the school.

An industry perspective In the opinion of Giles Coverdale, sales specialist at GenCom Technology, the recent streaming of ‘eSport’ – multiplayer video game competitions – by innovative New Zealand schools is simply a sign of things to come. Here, Giles provides School News with his expert advice on what else schools should look out for in providing for their broadcasting needs.

Live video has grown so quickly in popularity that there is now so much technology to choose from. Good advice is needed so that money is invested into video equipment that will remain useful and relevant for the school over time. If a school already owns existing equipment, such as cameras or media players, and are now looking to add a new AV mixer or upgrade their vision switcher, it is a good idea to check a few things before making a decision on brand or model.

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Is all your equipment in the same format? If you have cameras or other media which is a mix of SD and HD, or if you want to mix in some computer sources, you will need a vision mixer with at least one scaler or format converter on its inputs.

Are you planning on doing any green-screen work for a news or weather show? If so, make sure that the vision mixer you choose is high definition capable or better.

Green-screen works by removing the green from the background, so the higher the resolution of the mixer, the better looking and cleaner the effect will be.

There will always be a mixer that fits your budget, the key is to balance the price with making sure

it does what you need it to do. If you’re right on the edge, you may need to either drop a requirement, or increase your budget slightly to get what you want. Good questions to ask might be: how many sources do I have (e.g., cameras, computer video, DVD players, GoPros, computer graphics)? Do I have any audio that requires mixing or levelling as well (e.g., lapel mics, audio from camera mics, audio from the DVD player)? Do I need to stream the video online?

It is important to get the most value from the purchased equipment, which means taking time to properly learn how to use it.

Once teachers are familiar with its features and advanced functions, they can impart this knowledge on to students, who will then learn

to use the equipment to its full potential. If online streaming of the video to YouTube, Facebook or Livestream is needed, maybe look at a vision mixer that features a USB output; video plugged into the computer’s USB plug shows up on streaming sites as if it’s a webcam, and can just be clicked on to bring it live to air.

As for eSports, it is a rapidly growing market segment in the broadcasting space. As this is what students are doing in their free time anyway, it makes sense to bring it into the curriculum.

Producing a broadcast like that is a great way to keep students’ attention and make it a learning opportunity.

By Patrick Whittle

School Broadcasting

| TEACHING RESOURCES

Supplier Profile | Southern Broadcast

Getting your school on-the-air Broadcasting is a fun and challenging industry where technology is constantly changing and improving in very exciting ways, and the team at Southern Broadcast are right on the cutting edge.

We’ve designed and created studio and transmission solutions for some of New Zealand’s biggest broadcasters. So we can bring a wealth of knowledge on how the “big boys” do it, to help setup your school’s media outlet.

Your on-campus radio station can harness New Zealand’s free Low Power FM Scheme (LPFM) to get on-the-air without spending many thousands on a licenced frequency.

We have the equipment necessary to achieve this; including NZ type approved low-power FM transmitters, transmission antennas, professional play-out software and CD players, mixing desks - we can supply all you need.

What’s more, we’ll install it for you and train students how to use it all.

Is your school also branching into Television?

We can supply TV studio equipment, cost effective cameras, vision mixers, recorders, streamers, audio mixers and microphones to achieve the best result and give students a really professional TV studio experience.

Also… think for a moment about the power of the internet and what that’s

done to improve communication and connection between people. It’s done the same for the broadcast industry too!

Whereas in the past your school radio or TV station could only be heard and seen by a small local audience; with faster internet speeds and improving technology you can now reach right across the world!

Southern Broadcast incorporates IT and streaming solutions into your project so you can reach a wider audience. Imagine creating a full scale television production

and streaming it to the world via a “Facebook Live” broadcast. Southern Broadcast has decades of professional broadcasting experience to bring to your school project. That means your school radio or TV outfit will put students in a professional studio, that will give them a real-world feel for the broadcasting industry.

Contact us today to discuss your project - we’ll be just as excited about it as you are!

LEARN TO GET

ON THE AIR with

SOUTHERN BROADCAST

School Radio & TV Solutions

(09) 925 5055 Term 1 - 2018 schoolnews

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L.O.T.C. |

School Ski Trips

The downhill highlight of the whole school year For many students, a School Ski Trip often comprises not just one of the highlights of the whole year, but one of the best experiences of their entire school career.

Certainly, the fun and excitement they enjoy has the students (and accompanying adults!) talking about the trip for many years to come.

School ski trips offer all the benefits of normal school sports and excursions – stepping out of comfort zones, overcoming fears, promoting teamwork, achieving personal goals, and the like – all while in an exhilarating mountain environment, with snow to boot!

New Zealand is blessed with a great variety of commercial and club ski fields, ranging from

volcanic mountain settings in the North Island to the wondrous winter playgrounds of the South Island’s Southern Alps.

Ski areas in New Zealand: •

North Island - Ruapehu, Taranaki

•

South Island - Nelson, North Canterbury, Canterbury, South Canterbury/Otago, Wanaka, Queenstown

With the ski season running from June to October, schools have almost five months in which to slot in a trip – surely a bright spot during the dark winter term!

Larger commercial fields, whose facilities often include snowmaking and grooming, plus user-friendly chair-lifts, are often the first choice for schools, especially as they offer more extensive equipment hire options, and the all-important ski and snowboarding lessons for

beginners. Nevertheless, while club fields offer fewer facilities, they are often less crowded.

Après-ski However, it is not just the ski field themselves that are important when planning school ski trips; as crucial is the aprèsski accommodation and social activites (often a highlight in themselves to away-from-home school students). Yet again, larger commercial fields may be the best option here, especially as they tend to be nearer ski resort towns – themselves with a range of accommodation choices – or have their own on-site accommodation options.

Bear in mind, then, that effective planning of a school ski trip is a complex business, involving weighing up appropriate ski field facilities, accommodation and food, travel (from school to the ski area) and transport (from accommodation to the ski field), plus entertainment and activities at day’s end or in inclement weather.

Fortunately, many specialist travel operators offer all-in-one school ski trip packages that take much of the hassle out of organisation

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– though at an additional cost. At the same time, there is no onesize-fits-all solution to planning, with costs vs time vs convenience all specific to individual schools.

The process, therefore, must also include how and where the trip will fit within the school-wide curriculum, especially if students from different year groups are involved.

Life skills Nevertheless, a well-planned skiing trip comes with numerous additional benefits – as well as being fun and memorable, such trips promote valuable social and practical skills that are more widely applicable at school and later in a student’s life.

For example, taking students away from familiar comforts and routines helps solidify existing friendships and create new ones, especially as the group explores new places and shares new challenges together.

Students also get to see that their accompanying teachers are real human beings – shock horror!

– providing a positive effect on the classroom environment upon return to school.

Not only is a school ski trip often

School Ski Trips

| L.O.T.C.

Learners love Mt Ruapehu the first time many students have felt snow, but it may also be the first time that they get to travel away from home, allowing them to explore their independence while still in a monitored environment.

An industry perspective More than snow As marketing manager at Mt Ruapehu ski area Matt McIvor also points out, a ski trip is not just about the snow. “Taking the classroom outside will get students stoked! There’s nothing quite like a geology lesson held on an active volcano.”

Much the same can be said for other ski fields, with geological process – such as glaciation, tectonic uplift, and the effects of erosion and climate change – right in front of students’ eyes. Social and cultural history, too, can be included: the sacred nature of

mountains to Māori, Māori and European exploration, the advent of eco-tourism and more. As Matt says, a ski trip provides “plenty of hands-on learning opportunities for students to discover the history and stories of the mountain”.

Risk management Of course, part of the fun and exhilaration of skiing and snowboarding is the risk element, without which you might as well be sat in front of a screen watching someone else ski! But the inherent hazard of youngsters plus speed plus excitement carries with it the need to mitigate dangers as much as possible. Ensure that all service providers, including the those transporting students to and from the fields, have an up-to-date health and safety policy – and factor insurance cover into the costs of the trip.

At Mt Ruapehu, we pride ourselves on being the best place to learn to ski or snowboard in New Zealand.

Our qualified instructors help students have fun, feel safe and build up their confidence through tailored lessons in a friendly environment where celebrating successes with fellow students creates a great bond and sense of accomplishment within the group. This may be the first time touching snow for many students, creating an

experience they’ll never forget.

Mt Ruapehu’s Whakapapa ski area is New Zealand’s largest, home to the nation’s premier beginner playground, Happy Valley. A fully self-contained learner’s area, Happy Valley boasts its own cafe, rental complex and ski school meeting area, while also being free of advanced skiers and snowboarders.

The gentle slope is nice and long, allowing for plenty of time to really get the hang of turning and stopping, with easy to use carpet lifts and a slow-moving chairlift for quick progression.

By Patrick Whittle

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L.O.T.C. |

School Excursions

They'll want to remember this...

For most people, some of their most vivid memories of school aren’t just what happened in the classroom – they’re as likely to be about a trip or excursion outside the school gates and into the real world: visiting a museum or a marae, tramping in the bush, sailing a dinghy or watching a live performance.

Each and all of these – and more – epitomise Education Outside The Classroom (EOTC): curriculum-based teaching and learning activities that reach beyond the classroom. Yet while EOTC occurs, as the name suggests, ‘outside the classroom’, its purpose is very much to complement and enhance what students are studying within the school walls; it reinforces students’ learning by allowing them to make connections between what they may only have read about in a book or seen in a video with the real thing, out there in the real world.

For example, students who are

learning about pollution and waste and recycling through the traditional methods of the classroom can have this learning enriched by a visit to a local recycling plant (where, indeed, they’ll be better able to understand how they themselves impact on their own local environment).

Or if a class is studying oceans or the marine environment, then

a trip to an aquarium or to the seaside itself can bring to life the incredible flora and fauna they would otherwise only ever see ‘second-hand’ as an image on a page or on a screen. Imagine how much more excited and engaged students will become if they saw a real hermit crab scuttling across a rock pool or watched a real shark gliding past only inches away behind nothing but aquarium glass.

Experiencing marine life at first hand School excursions to Kelly Tarlton’s let students experience marine environments first hand.

Learning about sharks, for example, through videos or books is one thing, but seeing one swim overhead, or holding a real shark’s jaw offers an experience you cannot replicate in any other way.

At Kelly Tarlton’s, students get up close to ocean creatures and learn about them from marine experts.

Students see animals that only avid scuba divers ever encounter, and have the opportunity to

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handle and touch real marine artefacts. In addition, the educational experience at Kelly Tarlton’s is more meaningful because of its true-to-life setting: seeing these animals first-hand generates greater appreciation and genuine interest, with learning becoming fun and fascinating.

Different groups have specific needs and interests, so we offer an array of lessons on diverse topics to suit the particular requirements of any class. The qualified staff throughout the centre are also happy to answer students’ questions.

The relationship between inclassroom learning and the EOTC experience is also in line with The New Zealand Curriculum/ Te Marautanga o Aotearoa guidelines that encourage schools to develop school curricula and related learning programmes that “reflect the learning needs of their students; build on their previous experiences; and, have meaning for their students because the learning relates to their lives”.

Be immersed in our underwater world, and discover the learning opportunities at Sea Life Kelly Tarlton’s.

Visits include all day admission to our attraction, FREE self-guided online resources, and even a FREE classroom session with our Marine Biologists.

BOOK ONLINE OR EMAIL Learn@kellytarltons.co.nz

L.O.T.C. |

School Excursions

But above and beyond the actual subject and content of an EOTC experience, students also have the opportunity to demonstrate self-management and how they relate to others, as well as participating and contributing – all key competencies identified in The New Zealand Curriculum.

The possibilities for EOTC are boundless; for example, the Ministry of Education lists the following as coming within the EOTC remit: “ten minutes in the school grounds, a half day visit to the bush, river or local museum, … a camping experience, being involved in a hands-on project in

Where does our recycling go?

Students visiting the Visy Recycling Centre in Onehunga, Auckland, can learn all about the recycling process in the centre’s dedicated classroom.

At the recycling depot - or “material recovery facility” students will be shown how items are sorted into type (paper, glass and metals) and how to recycle correctly.

They’ll also see how collection

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trucks deliver to the centre, how machinery separates the different materials, and how the sorted items are compressed into huge bales ready to be made into new items.

This is New Zealand's largest and most high tech recycling sorting facility, and educational visits are available to groups of 12-50 people. The session lasts one hour, and is free of charge. Visitors must be at least 5-years-old and bookings are usually available at a few weeks’ notice.

the school’s grounds or a local

Other possibilities include:

reserve, playing sport, performing

•

School Group Adventure Activities – kayaking, rock climbing, learning to surf – any of countless types of outdoor activities that are both fun-filled and challenging

•

Cultural Experiences – learning about Māori culture and traditions on a marae (perhaps with an overnight stay), or experiencing the diversity of the different cultures of ever-expanding migrant communities in New Zealand

•

History, Arts and Drama – theatre or music performances, movie set tours, museum visits, many of which have specific school programmes or which tour throughout New Zealand

•

Nature Excursions – learning about volcanoes by visiting the Central Plateau, cruising on a boat while

at a local Kapa Haka competition or dancing in a children’s art festival, …a week long kayak down the river or the school trip overseas”. (http://eotc.tki.org.nz/ EOTC-home/For-teachers)

School Excursions

| L.O.T.C.

Yet while EOTC occurs, as the name suggests, ‘outside the classroom’, its purpose is very much to complement and enhance what students are studying within the school walls

studying lakes and rivers, setting up a tent in the middle of the bush •

Leadership and Development – excursions designed specifically to promote students’ own leadership and growth

•

Tailored Programme – modifying existing excursions to support specific curriculum needs or the needs of a particular group of students

The Ministry of Education’s ‘online knowledge basket’ Te Kete Ipurangi – tki.org.nz – provides a wealth of information on EOTC for

teachers, boards and principals, and for parents and whānau. This information includes advice, not only on EOTC options, but also on health and safety, and the important legislative guidelines that must be adhered to.

And remember: While each EOTC experience provides students with exciting opportunities to do and learn new things, they can also be useful and fun activities for the teachers, parents and caregivers who are also involved.

So, who’s up for a trip to the zoo?

By Patrick Whittle

VISY RECYCLING EDUCATION CENTRE Visit our Onehunga, Auckland site with your class.

Bookings available Tuesday to Thursday throughout the year.

Email: recyclingvisits@visy.co.nz

www.visy.co.nz

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SPORTS & RECREATION |

Sports Excursions and In-School Visits

The wider benefits of physical activites in schools In an era of everincreasing concern about the health and wellbeing of children – and of how lack of exercise and poor diet can have consequences extending throughout a person’s life – it is little wonder that health and physical education is a major focus of the New Zealand Curriculum for schools.

And an integral part of encouraging children to be more active is through School Sports Excursions and In-School Visits – activities that, in turn, impact upon students’ own well-being and the well-being of others.

For example, according to the Ministry of Education, health and physical education is underpinned by four guiding concepts: •

•

Hauora – the Māori philosophy of interconnected health (including mental, emotional and physical wellbeing) Attitudes and values – including respect, care, and concern for personal wellbeing, that of others and of the environment, and a sense of social justice

•

A socio-ecological perspective – viewing and understanding interrelationships between self, others, and society.

•

Health promotion – developing and maintaining supportive physical and emotional environments, and involvement in personal and collective action

Both school sports trips (say, involvement in inter-school competitions) and in-school visits (such as timetabled sports activities run by outside providers) address these curriculum concepts – for example, by providing challenges that allow students to develop the resilience and sense of personal and social responsibility so important for their later lives.

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Yet while sport and exercise has traditionally been promoted mainly as improving young people's physical health, recent research is increasingly indicating that it has a positive impact on students’ wider academic performance and social behaviour.

Indeed, such evidence suggests that well-delivered sports and activities programmes can bolster valuable character traits, boost self-esteem, foster teamwork and leadership skills, relieve stress and promote healthy lifestyle habits.

Other valuable skills acquired through sports include time management, increased focus and concentration, learning to handle pressure and assessing when to take risks.

An industry perspective Here, qualified teacher Joy Laurie, operations manager of indoor trampoline park JUMP, addresses questions on sport and physical education in schools.

In your opinion, what are the biggest concerns/issues within sport & recreation in schools?

Students not getting the appropriate opportunities to learn in, through and about movement; for example, schools outsourcing programmes that are not curriculum-related, thereby

hindering their overall learning experiences.

spiritual. In a sense, it broadens their horizon.

In addition, students not getting equal opportunity: the ‘sporty’ kids getting valued over the ‘not so sporty’. Some teachers/coaches are not catering/adapting their pedagogical practice to benefit all abilities, which then leads to students dropping out of sport, exercise or physical education at a young age.

Games with rules could enable students to be better contributing citizens to society as they are used to sticking to a set of rules and understand the consequences of breaking these rules. It also binds communities and families through shared experiences – and keeps students away from sitting in front of a screen!

How does sport & recreation benefit students?

Are there particular considerations sports teachers should take into account, or tips/advice about encouraging students to take part?

Sport & recreation provides all students of different races, religion and cultures with the opportunity to come together and work as a team. It allows students the opportunity to experience leadership skills; develop fine motor skills; promotes active lifestyles, e.g., walking to school rather than driving (being active is an important aspect of ‘being healthy’; and, provides the opportunity to learn about the physical environments (potentially contributing to later protecting the environment).

Sport & recreation or physical education teaches students to be healthy, lifelong learners.

Students are able to learn about all dimensions of their wellbeing through participating in sport – it is not just about the physical needs but also mental, emotional and

I think teachers need to be encouraged to look beyond just the ‘sporty’ and ‘abled’ students in the classroom and start adapting their pedagogical style to meet not only the less abled students but the different cultures and genders that make up an entire class. It is so easy for young children to have one bad experience that they will draw upon throughout the entirety of their life. This one bad experience could determine whether they choose to take part in sport and recreation or miss out altogether.

Always reflect and be open to change! Reflect on your activities, reflect on your students’ abilities, reflect on their physical environment, reflect on your teaching practices and think to yourself, ‘Am I catering to everyone

Sports Excursions and In-School Visits

| SPORTS & RECREATION

Supplier Profile | Jump

Learning has never been so much fun JUMP is a unique environment for kids of all ages to have fun, challenge themselves and get physically active into the bargain.

Whether you want to treat your staff or students after a hard-working term, incorporate this energy burning exercise into your physical education programme or run a unique, all-weather, all-ages fundraiser – we have so much to offer at JUMP. We pride ourselves on being the only safety certified indoor trampoline park company in New Zealand. The only company that is a member of the International Association of Trampoline Parks (IATP) and independently audited annually by representatives of the IATP and the Australian Trampoline Parks Association (ATPA).

The IATP requires all member trampoline parks to adhere to ASTM International F2970-15 - the Standard Practice for

Design, Manufacture, Installation, Operation, Maintenance, Inspection and Major Modification of Trampoline Courts.

All parks have a 3-minute customer education video running at reception, a live safety briefing for participants before every session and first aid-trained JUMP staff supervising every session.

JUMP has three parks in Auckland and one in Hamilton. General admission grants access to all the park facilities which includes thousands of square metres of trampolines, foam pits, dodgeball courts, performance trampolines and slam-dunk basketball hoops.

Each of our parks also has something unique to offer. There is a balance beam, parkour course and “the sticks” at Avondale and volleyball at our Hamilton park. North Shore has a Ninja course for both children and adults, it is the only facility that requires an additional $5 fee.

EXERCISE IN DISGUISE

We have just launched fun and challenging team building activity packages at JUMP that anyone can join in. We have options for teams of all ages and sizes, for both teachers and students. Choose from physically or mentally challenging activities – or do both!

JUMP has special rates for schools

and students and being indoors, we’re open in all weather. Visit our website to browse the options under “Groups”: www.jumpwithus.co.nz To book, fill in the booking request form on the appropriate page on our website.

For more details call (09) 600 5397 or send an email to groups@jumpwithus. co.nz

SO MUCH FUN YOUR STUDENTS WON’T BELIEVE IT’S A LESSON! JUMPing challenges your active kids and encourages the not-so-active kids to enjoy physical activity. This is what some of our schools say: “Really good involvement from your staff, very interactive with the kids” “JUMP was a really safe environment for them to try and extend themselves” “Was a fantastic term at jump, staff and students loved it” Book our special rates for school groups: jumpwithus.co.nz/groups/jump-schools

www.jumpwithus.co.nz

0800 JUMP WITH US / (09) 600 5397 Term 1 - 2018 schoolnews

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HEALTH & SAFETY |

SunSmart Schools

Smarter practices when out in the sun In New Zealand we enjoy a temperate climate and outdoor lifestyles.

Unfortunately we (along with Australia) have the highest skin cancer rates in the world. Yet there is compelling evidence that many skin cancers are preventable as they are mainly caused by excessive exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR).

in 2005, follows WHO guidelines for ‘best practice’ for addressing sun protective practices in primary schools. During the accreditation process, schools develop and implement a comprehensive sun protection policy and put SunSmart behaviours and education into practice.

Children are at school during peak UVR hours and some of that time is spent outdoors. Excessive UVR exposure during childhood is serious—DNA damage is irreversible and exposure is cumulative through the life span.

Students take part in many outdoor activities such as camps, sports days and swimming sports where, unfortunately, some do get sunburnt.

As it was 12 years since the launch of the programme, it was timely to reassess sun protection policies and practices in primary schools and see how well the programme was working in schools using the programme (in comparison with schools not using the programme).

In total, 1243 schools participated.

The Cancer Society’s SunSmart Schools Accreditation Programme (SSAP), launched in New Zealand

In 2017, researchers from the Cancer Society Social and Behavioural Research Unit at the University of Otago surveyed schools on behalf of the Cancer Society.

The survey covered provision of shade, use of sun protective practices (hats, clothing, sunscreen) and whether schools had a written sun protection policy.

Key results: During Terms 1 and 4, of surveyed schools: •

74 percent have enough shade for passive activities (eg, lunch)

•

14 percent have enough shade for active activities (eg, over playgrounds)

•

72 percent only allowed sun protective hats – unfortunately some allowed caps, particularly in the senior school, which undermines best practice

•

58 percent required staff to role model use of a sun protective hat outdoors

•

91 percent have a formal written policy or procedure

•

75 percent encouraged the use of at least SPF 30, broad spectrum sunscreen.

Survey results found that accredited schools performed better than non-accredited schools in ten out of 12 self-reported practices recommended by the

Sun shiny day: (Below) Rakaia School students and staff follow SunSmart practices

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programme. The two exceptions were shade provision and re-scheduling events. Both of these are challenging for schools because of resourcing issues and because high levels of UVR can encompass the entire school day.

Another finding from the survey was that many schools are unaware of the Cancer Society’s free SunSmart curriculum resources. These are available online at www.sunsmart.org.nz.

Written by educational experts the resources are cross-curricular, covering numeracy, literacy, health and science. They are inquirybased and cover levels 1-4 of the New Zealand Curriculum. They include hands-on lessons about the sun’s energy and how animals and humans adapt to it. Schools that have used them rate them very highly and say they were relevant and useful.

To find out more about how to become a SunSmart school contact your local Cancer Society office.

By Heather Knewstubb, Health Promotion Advisor, Cancer Society

Nature Play

| PROPERTY

Why getting children into nature matters No-one wants to be in the last generation where looking at the stars and playing outside is normal. Nor do we want statistics that say the average time an 8-year-old spends on technology per week in the USA is 52 hours You are one of the lucky generations because if youʼre old enough to read this chances are you have a special place in your heart that you went to as a kid.

You found something there that you couldnʼt find elsewhere.

It may have been a hole in the hedge at the end of the garden, a grassy meadow, or the rock pools that you spent hours exploring on summer holiday.

Whatever your version, I’m guessing your special place was outside.

Mine was under an old tree.

The branches came all the way to the ground. We made a path of stones to lead you in. It was secret. And quiet. And smelled of earth. Inside were imaginary rooms and the creek was right outside. Mum probably knew where we were. But I canʼt be sure.

It sounds like a typical childhood.

Lots of mud, risk and freedom.

But childhood experiences are shifting.

Todayʼs youngsters are spending

in human history where more of us live in cities. And that has huge complications. Thereʼs no guarantee there will be a special place in the hearts of future generations.”

He asks: “Do we lose the connection we have? Or grab the opportunity for a new way?”

Louv challenges us to develop nature-rich cities and nature-rich schools. He calls for doctors, parents, educators, developers, designers and conservationists to sit around the same table.

far less time outdoors than any previous generation. Their schedules are busier, activities more organised and any free time competes with the ever-present lure of the screen.

Then thereʼs the fear.

Parents go through more emotional gymnastics letting kids out beyond the garden gate than it seems their parents did.

Modern day parents have been described as ʻmarinated in fearʼ.

Stranger danger, faster cars and the perils of the natural world itself are keeping our kids safely indoors. And itʼs rubbing off.

A Massey University study found that children are picking up on their parents fears and are reluctant to be alone or venture out. When asked about their adventures the children in the study talked about video games.

Generously, UK author Tim Gill doesn’t just put this all down to parental paranoia. It’s more of a shift in the way we live.

“Our neighbourhoods are more dispersed and less connected,” Gill says. “We’re more dependent on our cars. Both parents are working and there’s a collective feeling of anxiety that’s not just from parents.”

More than just childhood memories are at stake Richard Louv, bestselling author of The Last Child in the Woods and The Nature Principle, coined the phrase naturedeficit disorder, sparking an international movement and national debate across North America.

Louv suggests the disconnection of children with nature correlates with increasing social, mental and physical health problems.

Thereʼs growing evidence linking a lack of time outdoors to childhood obesity, vitamin D deficiency and rising rates of depression.

Itʼs no surprise ʻnature prescriptionsʼ are being written by pediatricians to help children cope with a range of issues, from difficulty concentrating to autism.

When speaking at New Zealand’s Nature Education conference The Natural Phenomena, Louv explained: “Weʼre at a moment

Get outside: get the kids outside If you want your kids outside, guess what? Take them by the hand and head into the forest, up the hill, down to the pond. Take a bag for treasures and no agenda.

Building resilience, selfconfidence and a love of nature begins at your doorstep underneath the bare feet of our youngest children.

Getting kids outside is a conscious action led by parents and educators. A bug under a log provides wonder and excitement that canʼt be felt elsewhere.

A family walk under the stars builds relationships to each other and the wonder of the world.

Encourage children to feel part of nature at a young age. Help them watch clouds, feel grass under their feet, dig a hole in the back yard. It neednʼt take a lot of resources. Itʼs a way of thinking about life.

By Kate Broughton Kate Broughton is a writer, lifestyle coach and a member of the Nature Education Network – a group of people who care deeply about children loving the natural world they live in. Together they host The Natural Phenomena Conference: a nature education conference in the outdoors. Kate lives on the Tutukaka Coast with her son and partner.

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PROPERTY |

Nature Play

When play is doing what comes naturally

It used to be just called ‘play’ – that glorious time when you’d be outside, splashing in puddles, climbing trees, making a fort, hunting for four leaf clovers (or creepy crawlies or crabs in a rock pool) or simply throwing stones in the creek to see who could make the biggest splash.

So it’s a sign of the times that what were once commonplace and everyday activities for the average Kiwi kid has now been given a more specific label: ‘nature play’. Indeed, the growing Nature Play movement is inspired by the recognition that modern children are increasingly isolated from the natural environment, with many spending almost as much time indoors in front of a screen as someone doing a full 9-to-5 working week (see accompanying Nature Play editorial).

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Nature play is play with nature not just in nature; it is kids actually experiencing nature and all its elements, dirt and all. much of the current generation is of ever-growing concern, with many pointing out the long-term negative consequences – both mentally and physically – of overreliance on technology, social media and the like on young people’s development.

And yet, there is a world outside to explore – it’s big and it’s beautiful and, perhaps best of all, it’s mostly free to use!

Getting down and dirty

Related concerns are the sedentary lifestyles of many of today’s youngsters, rising obesity levels, diminishing social skills and limited exposure to experiences that develop selfconfidence, independence and the ability to evaluate risk.

Reconnecting children with nature should be easy; Christchurch City Council, for example, lists a ‘Dirty Dozen’ activities that can encourage children to explore the natural world, while learning and having fun: build a fort, roll down a hill, climb a tree, float a leaf boat, jump across stepping stones, go rack scambling, splash in the sea, imagine you’re an explorer, spot some birds, navigate with a map, dig in the sand, go hunting for nature’s treasures.

In short, the closeted existence of

But doesn’t it speak volumes

schoolnews Term 1 - 2018

that such simple activities – ones that would once just have been normal things to do – have to be promoted?

Of course, schools have a huge role to play in getting young people to understand and value nature through actually experiencing it. School excursions and outward bound activities are obviously one way of doing this, but another is installing a nature playground – say, with forts, bridges or climbing frames within a plant-filled landscaped area – so that children have access to a more natural environment every day at school.

Unlike more formal outdoor activities such as sports, a key concept of nature play is that children themselves are in charge of what they get up to, without having to be guided or instructed by adults; a guiding rule of real nature play, therefore, is that there are no rules (beyond those of everyone enjoying themselves).

Nature play is play with nature not just in nature; it is kids actually

experiencing nature and all its elements, dirt and all.

Yet while the Nature Play (and the nature playground) concept sounds so sensible, an initial hurdle is convincing those with different priorities of its benefits.

An industry perspective According to Tim Anderson of Compass Playgrounds, “moving from a more traditional playground to a natural environment needs to be a considered process”.

“It is important that there is ‘buy in’ from all parts of the school community,” Tim says. “This includes students, management, staff (including support staff ) and parents.”

Those who are already convinced of the importance of nature play might readily agree to any changes to existing playground design, while other may need more encouragement.

“The move away from the traditional climbing frame/fort

Nature Play

plonked in the middle of a bark area can meet with resistance from those that do not see the benefits of natural play,” Tim explains.

“There is often concern that the use of plantings to create quiet areas and pathways make supervision difficult. Caretaking staff can see the natural area as an extra work load that is not easily maintained with the lawn mower and weed eater.”

Valuing nature Providing a clear justification of the benefits and value of nature play for children is crucial, Tim believes, as is involving the students themselves.

“All schools will approach the consultation process differently but there are a few key elements that are important,” he says.

| PROPERTY

“Explain to the school community why you are wanting to change the environment of the school to a natural playground. Ask everyone what they would like to see in a new natural environment. Consult the children, use it as class learning experience. Make sure that everyone sees the plans and understands what is happening.

Acknowledge that it may not be perfect first time around and that it will need to evolve over time.”

So, here's hoping that, as attitudes towards the environment and understanding of the value of natural experiences evolve, will there be a move ‘back to the future’ where nature play is once again normal play.

Hmmm. I wonder if I could still climb that tree in the back garden…

By Patrick Whittle

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PROPERTY |

Outsourcing School Maintenance

A healthy school is a happy school is a well-maintained school For most people, the weekend is the time for all the DIY and maintenance jobs that need doing around the house – mowing the lawns, fixing that annoying leak, sprucing up the paintwork, getting rid of ever-accumulating rubbish and tracking down the source of that bad pong.

After all, we want our homes to look their best (what would the neighbours think!) and it’s just common sense to sort out the little things before they become big – and potentially expensive – problems.

It’s the same with school maintenance – except, of course, that there are more buildings to keep an eye on, more grounds to keep in check and a whole heap of overly-energetic young people adding to the daily wear and tear.

This is why Outsourcing School Property Maintenance is likely to be a cost-effective means of looking after a school’s physical assets.

Quent Brown, regional manager of cleaning provider Jani King, emphasises the “crucial nature” of building maintenance.

“A regular, programmed maintenance regime needs to be in place - especially on aging buildings,” he says.

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schoolnews Term 1 - 2018

“Managing the day-to-day cleaning of a school requires not just keeping the school clean and at a consistently high standard but management and knowledge in multiple areas: collective and individual employment agreements; supervision and training of staff; health and safety, and compliance; hardware and chemical knowledge.”

Clean bill of health

Quent also points to the importance of good communication between outsourced maintenance staff (such as cleaners) and the school management team “to make sure that any small issue is immediately brought to their attention before it becomes bigger and more expensive”.

More than mowing Similar issues arise with school grounds and playing fields, according to Turftech director/ founder Rob Briscoe “There is more to maintaining a sports field than mowing – neglecting correct field maintenance can result in expensive restoration costs,” he says. “Knowing the importance of physical activity for children, schools should be committed to providing a properly maintained environment for students and the wider community to use.”

For Rob, making sure that those employed in maintaining school grounds and green spaces have relevant experience is of paramount importance, otherwise schools do not get proper “value for money”.

“Sports fields are a valuable asset that require specialist knowledge to be maintained cost effectively,” he says. “[Maintenance staff ] must understand the importance of working in a school environment with respect of hazard identification – for example, have a robust health and safety system – and of working around children; for instance, be aware of debris, noise and school rosters to avoid their maintenance work intruding on daily school activities.”

Much the same things can be said about the professionalism of an outsourced school cleaning service, Quent says.

According to Quent, engaging a dependable and efficient cleaning provider “not only provides you with the certainty of a clean school, but gives you more time so your staff and teachers can focus their energy on what’s of prime importance – to teach and inspire their students to love learning”.

“A clean school with good property maintenance is important to every member of the school community. A clean school helps improve indoor environmental quality, reduces the spread of infectious illness, as well as the triggers for asthma and allergies. All of these issues impact absenteeism for both students and staff alike,” he says.

“One of the biggest concerns we find are with the amenities, with poor cleaning increasing the risk of cross contamination. A teacher who is frequently absent [due to illness] can have serious effects on the quality of education that a student receives over a school year. In fact, a study by Harvard researchers found that a teacher

Outsourcing School Maintenance

| PROPERTY

missing up to 10 days of school is equivalent to a student being taught by a novice teacher rather than one with several years of experience.”

A touchy subject Due to the nature of schools – with large numbers of students sharing facilities in common – ‘touch point cleaning’ must be emphasised, Quent says; that is, cleaning of the areas must often touched by different people.

“This is a health and safety issue and your cleaners should have touch point cleaning in their daily schedule. Touch points can be everything from restroom doors, push plates, light-switches door handles, etc. The inclusion of a sanitary wipe of these areas daily is key to keeping a safe and healthy environment, particularly during the flu season,”

he explains. “While many deep cleaning activities can be reasonably achieved over the term breaks, touch point cleaning is a fantastic way to keep children and teachers at school.”

Both Quent and Rob agree that doing the job well in the first place by using qualified staff from reputable companies is most

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cost effective in the long run. A little time spent doing regular upkeep of things like window and carpet cleaning can save greater expenditure later, Quent says.

don’t have to spend extra time

“Build a plan around ensuring regular window and floor maintenance is built into your cleaning schedule. This will ensure that window cleaners

After all, a healthy school

scrubbing off scum, build-up and baked on debris – which of course you will end up paying for.” is a happy school is a wellmaintained school.

By Patrick Whittle

Keeping New Zealand’s education facilities clean for

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www.turftech.co.nz

www.janiking.co.nz Term 1 - 2018 schoolnews

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PROPERTY |

Playground Equipment

supplier profile REHARVEST TIMBER PRODUCTS

Cushioning wood chips setting the standard in playground surfacing PREMIUM PRODUCTS Reharvest® Timber Products Ltd was established to manufacture premium products from waste wood that are eco-friendly and safe for children, animals, and nature alike. We have been undisputed in leading the market in this area for 20 years.

Our name sake says it all; we REHARVEST used and unwanted timber to make a variety of products ranging from garden mulch, to playground Cushionfall, to animal and equestrian mulch.

All of which are biodegradable.

ENVIROMULCH is our wood chip product created for your gardening needs. It can be laid on flat or sloping surfaces since it is self stabilising and wind resistant.

It is excellent for inhibiting weed growth, aids in moisture retention and is nontoxic being free from seeds and disease. Available in 5 colours.

PLAYGROUND CUSHIONFALL As with our Enviromulch, is self stabilising, inhibits weed growth and is non toxic, but because Cushionfall is installed to help with the impact absorbency on playgrounds it is also rigorously tested and the only 5 star rated

ECO-FRIENDLY OCEANIA New Zealand Business Awards 2017AWARDS

Reharvest Timber Products Ltd Best Recycled Wood Products Manufacturer 2017

We are the recent winners of the 2017 Oceania Business Awards for Best Recycled Wood Products Manufacturer and we pride ourselves in being part of a sustainable future.

Our wood chip mulch products are made from 100% recycled waste wood, reducing landfill and helping in waste minimisation efforts.

And they are bio-friendly as the mulch aids in moisture retention in gardens, drainage in playgrounds, is excellent for promoting healthy plant life, wind resistant and selfstabilizing.

Cushionfall for playgrounds has been rigourously tested.

Prior to product launch we conducted 2 years of product development and did 3 years of onsite playground testing.

Materials used as safety surfacing require certification to validate their shock absorbtion.

These certification tests require surfacing to achieve a test of 3.0m with a product depth of 300mm. Cushionfall has the highest test results in Australasia with 4.5 to 6.15m. Also, US testing laboratories have found wood chip surfacing to be 25% more shock absorbent after 5 years of use - so it doesnt get older, it just gets better. Cushionfall is the undisputed best-by-test, chased by the rest for the last 20 years.

wood chip surfacing in NZ. Cushionfall is the preferred choice of multiple councils, Ministry of Education, Kindergarten Associations, Playcentres Associations, and Pre School Centres.

SAFETY CONFIDENT We are so devoted to ensuring supreme quality and safety that we have spent 15 years perfecting our grinder that produces our wood chip so that it removes all traces of nails, staples and all metal/hazardous materials. Our techniques ensure there are no “sharp edges” and Cushionfall is made in strict votality from food-grade pellets and untreated timber so is non-toxic. Since safety is paramount we implement extensive testing at regular intervals evalutaing the impact efficency of the wood chips being produced.

EASY INSTALLATION Our wood chips can be pumped in through large hoses from the carpark or road, meaning there is no need for heavy bulldozers or machinery in your schoolyard or back breaking barrowing by your property manager!

Talk to our Sales Manager about your playground or garden requirements today Graham Villis - (09) 299 3999 - graham@reharvest.co.nz - www.reharvest.co.nz or follow us on Facebook 78

schoolnews Term 1 - 2018

NZ’S 5 STAR RATED PLAYGROUND SURFACING EXTENSIVE RESEARCH: 2 years of product development before launch RIGOROUS TESTING: 3 years testing of Cushionfall by 3 councils in 5 playgrounds before council approval ONGOING QUALITY TESTING: more than 50 tests in the last 10 years alone!

HIGHEST IMPACT TESTS in Australasia achieved PREFERRED CHOICE: Councils, the Ministry of Education, Kindergarten Associations, Play Centre Associations and Preschool Centres

PLAYGROUND WOOD CHIP VS MATTING? Choosing wood chips for playgrounds is a great choice in playground safety for 4 reasons: 1.

Shock absorption: United States Testing Laboratories found that Cushionfall® playground wood chips absorb shock better than rubber mats 3.75 inches thick.

2. Durable: the same laboratory found that Cushionfall® playground wood chips are 25% more shock absorbent after five years of use.

3. Even temperature: Reharvest Cushionfall® does not change temperature in hot or cold weather unlike synthetic surfaces can.

4. Eco-friendly: playground wood chips are more environmentally-friendly than playground matting. Whereas playground matting is generally manufactured from rubber, Cushionfall® playground wood chips are manufactured right here in New Zealand by recycling waste timber.

No other product comes close to 5-STAR rated Cushionfall.

The undisputed BEST-BY Test with a performance history of 15 years.

Manufactured exclusively by Reharvest Timber Products LTD

Phone (09) 299 3999 www.reharvest.co.nz

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