School News, NZ - Term 2, 2022

The essential industry guide

Issue 57 | Term 2, 2022 | NZD $12 incl GST | schoolnews.co.nz

PRINCIPAL SPEAKS

Why is equity so hard to implement?

PROFILE

Sylvia Park School Lighting up learning Essential Reading for Principals • Department Heads • Teachers • Professionals

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School News is distributed to primary, secondary and intermediate schools throughout New Zealand by Multimedia Publishing Limited.

The views and images expressed in School News do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. The information contained in School News is intended to act as a guide only, the publisher, authors and editors expressly disclaim all liability for the results of action taken or not taken on the basis of information contained herein. We recommend professional advice is sought before making important business decisions.

Inside our term two issue Front Desk Editor's Note: Schools push ahead: resuming travel, solving maths decline ........................................................................ 05

Education Principal Speaks: Why is equity so hard to implement? ...................................... 06

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PO Box 5104, Papanui, Christchurch, 8542, NZ Phone: (03) 365 5575 Fax: (03) 365 1655 mail@schoolnews.co.nz www.schoolnews.co.nz ISSN: 2624-2389 (Print) ISSN: 2624-2397 (Digital)

EDITOR Rosie Clarke, editor@schoolnews.co.nz INDUSTRY REPORTERS Heather Barker Vermeer DESIGN & PRODUCTION Richard McGill, production@schoolnews.co.nz ADVERTISING Dee Dawson, advertising@schoolnews.co.nz CONTRIBUTORS Bruce Cunningham, Tara Fagan, Audrey Tan, Alex Glasgow, Zoe Timbrell, Vivian Chandra and Richard Wallis.

Special Report: School travel reborn ....................................... 10

Profile Sylvia Park School: Lighting up learning in urban life ............................................... 12

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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 commercially funded advertorial but may be included as relevant opinion. Happy reading!

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Case Study: Serene learning spaces for South Island schools............ 16 Upgrading your school library ...................................................... 18

Teacher's Desk Empower teachers and school leaders with quality PLD .................................................................................... 22

Teaching Resources Problem-solving the maths decline .......................................... 28

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Op-Ed: Build your maths programme around student confidence ............................................................ 32 Sowing seeds on stage ..................................................................... 33

EOTC EOTC opportunities to explore in and around Rotorua ............................................................................ 36 Win a pass for 9 students and 1 or 2 adults to experience the magic of Rotorua Canopy Tours ........ 37 A night (or day) at the museum................................................... 40 Local stories, curriculum-rich school trips ........................... 42

Technology Laser cutter & design software encouraging student inquiry ......................................................... 43 Op-Ed: Where digital technology meets the traditional classroom.................................................................. 44

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Food & Beverage Feeding young minds ........................................................................ 48

Health & Safety Don’t let your floor safety slip ....................................................... 50

Sports & Recreation Increasing student participation and opportunities ....... 52 Upgrading natural sports turf surfaces .................................. 56 Case Study: Establishing the best grass species can be tricky .......................................................................... 57 On the surface of school sports .................................................. 58 Case Study: Stanhope School inspires students to participate ............................................................................................ 60

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Property How hot compost can cool the planet.................................... 61 Rubbish responsibility........................................................................ 62 All-weather shade solutions create year-round spaces ............................................................................... 66 Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

Kia ora! Welcome to the Term Two issue of School News!

learner, she writes: “Striving for understanding does not equal high maths performance”.

Don’t miss this one!

arts cannot be understated in terms of vocational possibilities as well as providing a wellrounded education…

As we go to print, the school sector is abuzz with news that Aotearoa New Zealand may not participate in the OECD’s upcoming batch of PISA tests.

Less than 60 percent of schools invited to take part have agreed to sign up due to the ongoing COVID crisis. A Ministry Briefing Paper pointed out that if enough schools fail to participate, there will be a seven-year gap between test scores that could have long-term ramifications for the education system.

Meanwhile, some academics and teachers have conversely argued the 2022 PISA scores would only reflect the disruption of COVID to learning, which is still worthy of research but would not necessarily inform future educational policy.

Our Special Report this issue

by Industry Reporter Heather Barker Vermeer takes an in-depth look at school travel reborn (page 10), following the journey of the School Travel Collective, which has been on a revolutionary mission to safeguard school travel money in the wake of COVID cancellations. On page 18, we talk to library specialists about upgrading the most resourceful space on any school site, and on page 22 we consider what PLD options might best empower teachers in 2022.

Explore Rotorua! On page 36, we take you on a trip around one of the country’s most spectacular regions for schools to visit. Check out page 37 too, for your chance to win an exclusive Canopy Tour for your student group. Of course, don’t miss Principal Speaks this issue (page 6), where Belmont Primary School Principal Bruce Cunningham reflects on 42 years of school leadership and his frustration with decile labelling.

Finally, our Profile this issue is the beautifully bright Sylvia Park School, which hosted Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for the official launch of the Aotearoa New Zealand History Curriculum.

One test score trend that has

Rosie Clarke,

Editor, SchoolNews editor@schoolnews.co.nz

impacted educational policy has been the maths decline, so this issue we asked how school programmes are trying to solve the problem (page 28), in light of the government’s new five-year curriculum strategy.

On the same topic, Dr Audrey Tan penned an insightful oped advocating for schools to build their maths programmes around student confidence (page 32). As a lifelong maths

Heather also spoke exclusively with actor and former Westlake Girls’ teacher, Julie Collis as part of our spotlight on school resources for staging theatre, musicals, and productions (page 35). The value of the

Got plans for your school in 2022? Write in and let us know so we can feature you!

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EDITOR'S NOTE

Schools push ahead: resuming travel, solving maths decline

PRINCIPAL SPEAKS

Why is equity so hard to implement?

Image courtesy of Belmont Primary School

What a privilege it is to be a leader of a school!

It would be better if this Government was more supportive…

When I reflect on my 42 years of being a teacher and principal, I do so with pride, satisfaction, and an understanding that all teachers and principals give their all to support students, parents, staff, Boards, and associated agencies. This has been highly evident over the past 24 months, when principals and all staff were asked to step up to the plate and lead, not only their school, but their community during a global pandemic. And everyone did.

It was tough, it was challenging, and all of us had to adapt and adopt; very quickly. Our communities were grateful.

When you reflect on why you became a teacher or principal, one reason was probably that you thought you could make a difference. And you did.

It is with immense pleasure that I have led Belmont Primary School, on the lovely Devonport Peninsula, for 17 years. All the staff are outstanding and the collegiality, congeniality, and high-performing culture that has been created is one of the best I have encountered. And the students benefit greatly from this in so many ways: we are well-resourced, especially

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When our iPad/ chromebook leases expire in 24 months, or they get too old, how will we fund 400 devices at a cost of $200,000?

Bruce Cunningham Principal, Belmont Primary School

with digital technologies, which have been hugely beneficial over the last 24 months. Which leads me to think about educational policies around funding and equity. And I think about teacher/ principal wellbeing a lot.

I taught at Baird’s Primary in Otara from 1981-1984, where the late Wally Morley was a leader before his time. The staff were his focus (maybe because the Education Board did everything!) and all staff had a wonderful experience and a great time. We were happy, we were all excellent teachers, and we were well resourced.

We had the same resourcing as my fellow first-year teachers in other communities. We got paid a year above our step, due to teaching in Otara. What a great incentive to get quality teachers to schools that find it difficult to staff. Maybe the MoE could rethink a cost-of-living allowance for Auckland teachers?

From 1985 to 1989, I had the privilege to be led by the late Jim Laughton at Richmond Road School in Ponsonby. The school was at the forefront of education based on research. All staff worked extremely hard, but we also had a great time. And the students achieved. And we were well-resourced. The same as other schools in other communities.

Then, Tomorrow’s Schools came, and the funding of schools changed dramatically, as did pay parity, so I jumped ship. From 1990 to 2001, I taught at Kelston Boys’ High School in a variety of roles.

Sir Graham Henry and Steve Watt were my principals. Both men had an emphasis on creating a culture of success through hard work. KBHS was one of the most social schools to be a part of. The students were wonderful. The importance of congeniality and collegiality was hitting home.

EDUCATION

From 2002 to 2005, once again I had the honour to be led by a wonderful leader and person - the late John Clarke at Southern Cross Campus in Mangere. All these four schools embedded in me the belief that your staff are the most important resource.

However, when I moved to Belmont Primary, I noticed a difference in physical resources and inequities in our educational settings. This should not happen.

Some of these inequities were school-based, but many of the inequities were in the homes of the communities I had just left. Why do governments not ensure all households have internet in their homes? Why do governments continue to build three-bedroom homes when they know the households might have over 10 family members?

And my list could go on.

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Image courtesy of Belmont Primary School

All staff and principals work very hard, so there is frustration building inside me with this government. After 42 years of educating students and staff, I have some reflections on recent government announcements…

Why do they want to make our jobs more difficult through unnecessary policies and inadequate funding? This will have a direct impact on retention, wellbeing and, therefore, student success. It will undermine all the hard work we all do as leaders to create environments that enable

staff to focus on their core skills. I know high quality principals that have resigned due to the stresses of our role. This is an indictment on our profession, and the MoE. This Government, which I voted for, thanked us for all our hard work, leading communities in a pandemic, by giving us a wage freeze, along with other key front-line workers including the nurses and police. This, thankfully, died a quick and silent death. Why would they think this was a good idea? So much for being kind and being a team.

So much for being a Wellbeing Government. And now our staff are faced with inflationary increases, higher rent, or higher interest rates for mortgages. I am looking forward to the primary teachers’ collective to see exactly how much this government does value our profession.

It has emerged over the past few weeks, as of writing, that the Government is looking to restrict international students from below Year 9. There has been no consultation. A survey is not consultation. Who is advising

Chris Hipkins? Why is taking away a funding resource that helps all students and staff a good idea?

The reason this irks me so much is twofold: It will deny students the opportunity to have the best resources available and it will have a direct impact on staffing, whether that be the wonderful teacher aides that support our children who need supporting, or the extra teacher we employ above our entitlement.

Our school is very well-resourced, due to international students, and this enables all staff to do

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EDUCATION

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their job to the best of their ability. My staff enjoy coming to school. However, what will this look like in two years’ time when instead of nine teacher aides (one for every two classes) we only have those funded through RTLB? When our iPad/ chromebook leases expire in 24 months, or they get too old, how will we fund 400 devices at a cost of $200,000? How will I create the lower-class sizes that only private schools have? How will I fund extra property requirements such as playgrounds, shades, or artificial turf so we can be active outdoors year-round?

Another reason that denying primary and intermediate schools this funding source irritates me so much is because it is not equitable. Why can secondary schools continue to have international students?

Where is the evidence lower decile schools think it is not equitable that higher decile schools get international students? My colleagues in lower decile schools that I have talked to don’t care that we have international students.

Our school has a roll of around

Get rid of decile labelling. Fund every school the same. This will make a huge difference to all our students.

430 and, being Decile 10, we get the minimum funding formula as we are supposedly able to obtain ‘locally raised funds,’ through school donations, school fairs, international students, or sponsorships. We receive around 10 international students a year, which brings in $100,000. This money is essential to my leadership. This money allows our school to have the ability to make a difference to kids’ lives. This allows teachers to be the best they can be.

I do have a solution: Fund every school at the same formula of a Decile 1A school.

Wouldn’t that be great? Then we would all have equity.

This is what the government wants. No excuses. The government wants equity, well here is their opportunity.

I am sure all schools prior to 1989 were funded equally and we were all well-resourced, regardless of the community they were in. I am jealous of my colleagues in lower decile schools that I taught in for 25 years. They are well resourced; they have wonderful property enhancements and wonderful support staff and extra teachers mostly funded by the government. Our school

does too, but for how much longer? In my experiences, the inequities of lower decile schools are found in the households.

Equitable funding will solve another issue; the common misrepresentation of schools and communities being labelled unfairly, due to being a low decile.

Get rid of decile labelling. Fund every school the same. This will make a huge difference to all our students. And it will ensure that principals can focus on their core business, which is not being a fundraiser. Imagine if a principal’s only focus was on staff, students and doing right for their communities in regard to resources, and teaching and learning practices? Imagine what we all could achieve with our children that need learning support? But that is a discussion for another day.

Finally, I hope you all enjoy your leadership role as much as I do. I hope it brings you joy. It is a privilege to lead students, staff and communities and to make a difference.

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EDUCATION

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SPECIAL REPORT

Images supplied by School Travel Collective courtesy of Tour Time

School travel reborn

By Heather Barker Vermeer Industry Reporter

As Aotearoa New Zealand passed the second anniversary of its international border closure in March, light appeared on the horizon for school travel tours.

The reopening of international borders this term brings back the opportunity for school trips beyond our boundary, after a two-year hiatus that saw thousands of dollars lost to COVID-related cancellations.

Families and schools left drastically out of pocket after hefty down payments were lost, resulting in more than

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350 Commerce Commission complaints over COVID-related travel cancellations and national media highlighting the plights of some seriously peeved parents and schools.

Students at Epsom Girls’ Grammar in Auckland, for example, stumped up $3500 each for a planned school trip deposit to Europe, which was to cost around $10,000 per student.

When it was cancelled, due to COVID, families received back only 15 percent of monies paid, prompting a New Zealand Herald investigation and further media coverage. Schools across the country, from Auckland to Invercargill, were negatively impacted by lack of refunds and the issuing of credits instead

of cash, which was of no use to Year 13 students, for example. In an attempt to mitigate financial risk to schools and families in the future, competing school tour operators have banded together to herald ‘a new dawn for school travel’, with a pledge to restore confidence in the industry and minimise potential loss.

Based on a not-for-profit model, and following a similar UK lead, the School Travel Collective Inc (STC) is on a mission to provide greater safeguards and peace of mind by seeking to address two main questions asked by parents ask when contemplating sending their child on a school trip: Is my child going to be safe?

Is my money going to be safe?

It is the brainchild of Kiwis,

EDUCATION

Brent Imrie (Tour Time), Stephen Gillingham (Defining Moments) and Steve Lee (Travel to Learn); all competitors in the school travel tour market, who chose to come together for the common cause of building back a better school travel sector in NZ. Since its inception, more members – Ashleigh Hamilton (EdventureTours Travel) and Michael Service (Educational Journeys) – have come on board. Each must commit to Qualmark and Worksafe NZ approval and, crucially, the Travel Agents’ Association of New Zealand (TAANZ) financial bonding scheme.

They are also required to be IATA accredited.

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

“STC members do not and will not hold clients’ funds as future travel credits,” says Orewa-based travel agent Imrie. “We do not engage in or endorse the practice of holding clients’ funds in the form of travel credit. The only unavoidable credits are those held by a supplier, such as an airline or hotel that does not issue refunds.

“All our members ensure that deposits and payments are put towards the outgoings for that specific tour and not used for operational costs or put towards other tours. That is how so many people lost so much money due to pandemicrelated cancellations; some tour operators who were not TAANZ financially bonded had already spent this money elsewhere.

When it came to cancellations, the money had already been spent elsewhere, so could not be refunded. We want to see an end to that practice.”

TAANZ-bonded travel companies are required to ensure client funds are kept separate from working capital and must submit their financial statements for scrutiny by the TAANZ Bonding Authority every six months, as well as providing a cash deposit, or security, in the form of a bond.

This good practice ensured St. Peter’s College in Auckland received the majority of its funds back from a STC member company after the school’s planned Classics Tour of Greece and Italy was cancelled due to COVID in 2020.

Teacher-In-Charge of Classics at the integrated boys’ school, Cameron Sitters cannot overstate the gratitude felt by parents, who had already stumped up $3000 per child and were fundraising for the inclusive trip that was scheduled to take a diverse range of students on the once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

“It’s a huge success story,” said Cam. “We had 34 boys and four staff who had already paid a $500 deposit and three instalments of $1000 each. The STC agent managed to retrieve the vast majority of funds for us, despite this money having rightly been paid to overseas accommodation and transport suppliers. To get back what we did was phenomenal really. I know other schools haven’t had such a positive experience.”

STC assisted the Ministry of Education in reframing its Education Outside the Classroom guidelines for postpandemic travel and reminds schools of their needs to follow MoE guidelines. These follow that schools choosing nonfinancially bonded operators must receive approval from each family involved in the tour. “This is a fact that many schools are not aware of or can simply overlook,” said founding STC member, Brent Imrie.

Minister for Tourism, Stuart Nash welcomed the move to better safeguard the school travel sector. He told School News, “I understand that schools’

planning is extensive as it should be when safeguarding the safety and learning of young Kiwis and the financial contributions of their whanau.

had a bit of a shake-up. The days of choosing a company without doing thorough research need to be over. There needs to be more financial rigour involved.

“Innovation and first-rate customer service are essential parts of our tourism industry. It is always interesting to hear about new ideas, such as the School Travel Collective, that aim to provide new or better offerings.

I will follow the Collective’s progress with interest.”

“Schools are responsible to their parent communities and their decision making needs to stand up to scrutiny because it’s the parents who carry the greater risk and stand to lose the most.”

Mr Nash reminded schools of Ministry of Education’s advice when it comes to school travel.

“The Ministry of Education encourages schools to check whether the travel agent is bonded and to consider what level of insurance to choose.

Ultimately, it is up to schools and their communities to make decisions about how to plan their school trips.”

Whangarei-based STC member Stephen Gillingham is mindful of the knock the industry has taken and suggests a ‘new normal’ for this new era of school travel. He said: “Our whole industry has

EDUCATION

Mr Nash shares the collective (and the Collective) feeling around the new dawn of travel possibilities for schools.

“I am heartened to hear that schools and their communities are once again thinking about trips abroad. Travel, both domestic and international, is a wonderful learning experience and an exciting opportunity for young Kiwis.”

Gillingham added, “Now that we are restarting international travel, it’s a good time to make sure everyone understands the fundamentals and to make sure we move ahead with more confidence, redefining school travel in a post-pandemic world.”

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Sylvia Park School

Lighting up learning in urban life

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern joins Sylvia Park School students to launch the Aotearoa New Zealand Histories curriculum in Term 1. All images courtesy of Sylvia Park School

By Heather Barker Vermeer Industry Reporter

commitment to being research informed and evidenced-based in every aspect of our practice.

The chance to work in a highly urban, largely Māori and Pacific community attracted Barbara Alaalatoa to Sylvia Park School.

That was in 2004.

“The opportunity to buck all the trends too often associated with communities like ours was all too tempting!” she told me: “For the past 17 wonderful, wonderful years I have been lucky enough to have been the Principal at Sylvia Park School.

It is the absolute joy of my life!”

Now with the title Barbara Alaalatoa ONZM, this principal ensures that joy runs deep at this co-ed school for Years 1 to 8. And this joy was particularly evident last term when the school was chosen by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as the launch venue for the new Aotearoa New Zealand History Curriculum. In fact, “It was an all-out party,” says Alaalatoa.

“It was an absolute honour and privilege to host the Prime Minister for such a momentous policy launch. Our students

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Principal Barbara Alaalatoa, second from left.

always love any opportunity to talk about the things they love and have learned about. The bigger the audience the better!

to celebrate in unashamedly, celebratory ways. We have so much to be grateful for right here in Aotearoa New Zealand!”

“The opportunity to share what they know about the arrival of Kupe, 500 years of a thriving Māori community and the first encounter between Māori and Pakeha, amongst other things, with the Prime Minister of Aotearoa New Zealand was one they absolutely relished. They shared their stories with pizazz and humour, and in a way that is relevant to them in the here and now.”

For over 40 years, Alaalatoa has worked in education.

This has included teaching, lecturing at pre-service teacher education and working at the Ministry of Education.

Balloons, waiata, banners, flag waving and an enormous cake were part of the celebration event, says Alaalatoa, who is all in favour of marking life’s wins.

“We need to remember how

She also had the honour of chairing the inaugural Education Council and is currently the Chair of Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu - the Correspondence School, which she describes as “an amazing school”.

At her Sylvia Park School, there have been many “pretty amazing initiatives” over the past two decades. “I think the thing I am most proud of is our absolute

PROFILE

“We have never searched for silver bullets in the form of the latest professional development offering, rather we have always leaned into that which we know constitutes excellent teaching and learning practice. The results of this practice have been evident in the rich achievement of our students.

“Most recently, we were one of the schools selected for the PIRLS study. It was deeply satisfying to see our students achieving well in all aspects of the study.

The fact that they also exceeded the average on almost all the questions that related to their reading efficacy is an absolute tribute to the collective effort of the teaching and support staff that are committed to quality teaching practice every single day. It doesn’t get much better than that!”

In regards to the new history curriculum launched at her school, Alaalatoa is impressed: “The Aotearoa New Zealand History Curriculum provides us with a real opportunity to create a sense of our individual and collective belonging right here in our own backyard.

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

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“The best thing about the Aotearoa New Zealand History curriculum is that it is much more than just learning facts about the past events and actions. It’s also about the big ideas that are meaningful to us all in the here and now.

“Making connections to ideas of fairness, conflict, participation to name but a few will ensure that our students will see the relevance of knowing the stories of our past, warts, and all. The best thing about the new curriculum is that there is a guarantee that all students will get to learn all about the stories that make us, us!”

Topical this term, too, is the announcement of the overhaul of literacy and maths learning in this country: “The time for a literacy and maths strategy is well overdue,” says Alaalatoa.

“The recent report on the demise of literacy outcomes is a wake-up call for us all. The inequitable outcomes for Maori and Pacific students that have persisted are unacceptable.

There are no excuses for poor outcomes for our people.”

“We know so much about what constitutes effective teaching and learning practice in maths and literacy practice. We have excellent tools that help us know what we are teaching well and what we need to improve on. We know about professional teacher inquiry and its contribution to improving outcomes for our kids.

“We need to end the search for silver bullets in the form of professional learning and development offerings and instead commit to a commonality of practice that is research led and evidenced based.

We need to remember that teaching is powerful and that it can and does make a material difference to our children and whanau - when we get it right.”

Art is a very visible and intrinsic aspect of Sylvia Park School, which sits within a suburb characterised by major highways, retail, and industrial development.

The ‘SPS village’ includes tuatara, kiwi, solar systems, dinosaurs, as well as living works of art; hens, cats, dogs, bees and two kunekune pigs.

The school’s colourful exterior reflects the joy that exudes from within: “Our school is literally a work of art with our students'

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PROFILE

work evident all through our school. The environment tells stories about our students' learning, and we think that adds to the reciprocity of love for our school and our community.

“The idea that all schools could provide their communities with a space where whanau can play, picnic and learn is one that we should all aspire to,” Alaalatoa believes.

The challenges faced by the schools all over the motu and the world, at Sylvia Park, appear to have been subjected to a process of educational alchemy, with the principal keen to seize the opportunities of our ‘new normal’ to dream bigger for her school, its students and community.

“We have learned that if you deeply believe in those lofty big strategic goals then they should continue to shape your teaching and learning, whether we are all on-site or online. We kept these front and centre in the online space and ensured that as we pivoted to our online learning platform that these were fundamental to our practice,” says Alaalatoa.

“We were proud of our ability to be both agile and equitable in the provision of online learning for our whanau. Most of all, over the past two years, I learned that our SPS village will go to extraordinary lengths to ensure every single one of our students gets everything they need to engage fully in their learning. Miharo katoa!”

And she doesn’t intend for the school to sit back and cruise in the years ahead. What Alaalatoa has in mind doesn’t involve playing small. “Bigger, more audacious questions and inquiries for students to undertake and create amazing outcomes are always on the horizon for us and hopefully will always be. We just want to continue to evolve our curriculum and pedagogy to the extent that our kids wake up in the morning and just can’t wait to get to school!

“We need to make sure we provide a space where people can take time to think about all the positive things that happen when kids take charge of their learning.

“And also,” Alaalatoa adds, “we seriously need to be part of the Auckland Art Trail!”

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

Key to success The smarter, electronic way to run key-based access control eCLIQ is a wireless access control system which enables schools to regain and maintain control of their locking system.

For those who need to monitor and control access to their school, the reality of navigating streams of different people at any given time and ensuring that those who are authorised to have access to premises can easily do so, and those who don’t are prevented from entering, can be a huge challenge.

Fortunately, with eCLIQ this challenge is easily overcome.

It features a key that combines the benefits of digital technology, including passwords, authentication, audit trails, flexible access control and so much more, with the security of robust mechanical locks.

The Smart Key It may be surprising that one of the most sophisticated, up-to-date access and security devices looks, at first glance, like one of the oldest. Based on the traditional lock and key, eCLIQ retrofits seamlessly into existing locking systems; cylinders are made to the same dimensions, and all electronics are self-contained - powered by a battery within the key.

Without the need for wiring, eCLIQ electronic keys offer features like programmable access rights, time scheduling, audit trails and blocking of lost keys. Simply put, if one of these is mislaid or taken away (either inadvertently or intentionally)

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

the school facility manager isn’t landed with the onerous task of rekeying the entire school.

The individual key can simply be blocked at the cylinder, therefore removing the keys access rights, and blocking the operation of the key.

The school facility manger can also see who opened what door and when, easily change a person’s access rights by sending information to their key and control the time periods when keys are operational.

Ease of installation and use Installation is simple and straightforward, both for new school construction or retrofitting to existing doors at established schools.

on the school’s preference.

For those looking for the very highest level of security, the latter option is often selected.

For retrofitting an existing door, all that is required is the fitting of a key and cylinder into the standard mortice lock.

A simple procedure and one that is a much more cost-effective solution than monitoring people by installing expensive card readers, and the associated cost and complexity of running cabling across the school.

Benefits •

For operation, it’s possible to use CLIQ Web Manager available in either cloud-based or serverbased software, depending

Lost keys – Block or eliminate any lost or stolen keys to maintain the integrity of your system without having to replace the locks

•

No rekeying costs – all access rights are granted electronically to the keys

•

No wiring – Gain the functionality of access control without the hassle and expense

•

Audit trails – Maintain control of the system as every lock and key can be tracked

•

Change access – Easily change a person’s access rights by sending information to their key

•

Schedule access – Control the time periods when keys are operational. Ideal for third party maintenance contractors or if you rent out spaces - with knowledge that access can only be gained when specified.

For more information visit www.assaabloy.com/nz or email nzeducation@assaabloy.com

PROFILE

15

CASE STUDY

Serene learning spaces for South Island schools

Images courtesy of Learning Spaces Global and Te Rohutu Whio School

By Heather Barker Vermeer Industry Reporter

Schools have a wonderful new brief: to create calming, natural environments indoors.

Two schools that have nailed the assignment here in New Zealand are Te Rohutu Whio in Rolleston and Te Kura Whakatipu O Kawarau in Queenstown.

When the South Island schools made the bold decision to modernise their learning spaces, they naturally decided to get Learning Spaces Global involved.

Principal of Te Rohutu Whio, Kate Morgan reflects fondly: “The development of the personalised details that link to our localised curriculum made this work really special to us. The natural light

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in the spaces is enhanced by the natural furniture used. The environment has really been used to its best advantage.”

Adding features such as LED lights to the library issuing desk, is an example of how Learning Spaces Global went the extra mile, Kate tells us.

She also says that one of the most exciting but unexpected outcomes from the project has been the way in which Learning Spaces Global use natural materials to help elevate the colours in the learning environment.

Kate reveals: “We’re finding the children are really taking notice of the colours in the space; the natural furniture really allows these to pop. It’s safe to say, they are really loving their new environment!”

Heinz Woodman is the business development manager for Learning Spaces Global, and recalls: “Both schools contacted us to obtain a design and quotation fitout as they were both looking for natural wooden furniture, calming colours, and bespoke pieces that they could make their learning spaces look unique and reflect what the schools represent.”

Kitting both schools out with everything from storage units, locker units, table, chairs, soft furniture to bespoke plywood acoustic trees and reading nooks has transformed their learning environments beyond recognition.

Heinz notes that the project outcome really satisfied the desire of both schools to have natural timber furniture that

ADMINISTRATION

could be movable, durable and look amazing in the learning spaces: “They were strong about not having an institutionalised look or feel about the school and loved the way our furniture is not made from colourful MDF or melamine panels with edgeband.”

He feels the results speak for themselves and says both projects were hugely enjoyable experiences for all involved.

“We were so excited to work with both schools. The feedback from teachers, parents and children from these cuttingedge projects has been overwhelming. Everyone who sees the spaces just says wow and how much they would love to be a child again and learn in a school like this.”

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

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Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

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17

Upgrading your school library

Bailey Road School library, Whare Ahuru Mowai. Image courtesy of The National Library of New Zealand

By Heather Barker Vermeer Industry Reporter

The number of schools and teachers moving away from the traditional ‘sage on the stage’ classroom model and embracing the principles of personalised, flexible learning, has prompted the role and function of the school library to evolve.

The library / learning hub / similar, is predominantly where the school’s flexible learning initiatives, resources and environment will stem from. This area is often led by a schoolwide specialist in information resources, curriculum, and technology integration - the new, multi-purpose school librarian. They will be key in the process of leading and supporting the library’s evolutionary multi-functionality.

Providing the best physical environment to accommodate the learning needs of students is a cornerstone of a school library’s existence, but where do you start on the path to library transformation?

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Analyse your space, be flexible Take stock of your library’s layout and plan to maximise the space. It needs not only to be a welcoming environment for research and sourcing information, a place for students to sit comfortably and read, and a site of project collaboration and sharing.

Shifts like moving rows of bookshelves to the periphery of the library to allow for flexibility of floorspace and can create areas for desk-based learning, research, and comfortable reading. If your furnishings consist of standard fixed-leg, bulky rectangular library tables, they’ll remain rooted to the ground or need to be moved, with difficulty, to alter the configuration of the space.

Allow for flexibility by opting for easily mobile items of furniture, stackable options and modular pieces that allow you to create a variety of configurations. Accommodate theatre-style set-ups for debates and video conferences with your layout. Furniture that is easy to re-configure will provide more scope for this.

Aesthetic improvement An injection of colour is one way to make the library more appealing, through furniture items, soft furnishings, wall colour or an often-forgotten element, artwork. Inspire your students with prints of classic artworks that fit your school’s values. Old photographs can inspire a sense of connected heritage and can provide uniquely special library embellishments, or select a mix of book cover poster art.

Cull the clutter. Keep on top of the quality of your library resources with an annual clear out of any resources or titles that are under-par. The nonfiction collection will likely contain much information that is easily obtained online and could be removed to clear floorspace of shelving and cabinets. Weed out duplicate titles, tatty publications, and out-of-date collections to create space for new.

Collaboration Working with subject teachers to provide areas that they can use differently from their classroom spaces may encourage new

ADMINISTRATION

users of your library facilities. A successful reorganisation of the library space should include the thoughtful creation of zones of use within the overall floorplan and subject teachers are best placed to advise what will suit their and their students’ needs.

Many school libraries choose to repurpose storage space previously used for AV equipment or reems of books, to make a green-screen room for use as a project-based learning space.

This can increase use of the library subjects, attracting pupils and teachers across a broader range of subject to engage with the space for project work.

Having activity zones and quiet zones help structure your space and aid different work styles.

A sound environment Libraries have acoustic demands often not considered in the design and construction process.

These issues can include noise intrusion from exterior and interior sources such as aircraft and building mechanical systems, excess reverberation in public spaces, speech communication, and intrusion from potentially adjoining spaces, such as meeting rooms.

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

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A is for acoustics ^Seep, Benjamin., Glosemeyer, Robin., Hulce, Emily., Linn, Matt., Aytar, Pamela. (2009) Classroom Acoustics - A Resource for Creating Learning Environments with Desirable Learning Conditions. Retrieved from LXXT ƌPIW IVMG IH KSZ JYPPXI\X )( THJ

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screens to create spaces within the larger space such as quiet study or comfortable reading areas; or move everything aside to cater for activities or community events such as whānau hui, presentations, and performances. Another tip is to replace bulky fixtures—like a built-in circulation desk—with a smaller, mobile version that gives library staff flexibility within the space as the library evolves.

Ideally, you’ll continue providing library access during a refurbishment but ask yourself three questions beforehand: Image courtesy of Autex Industries and St Peters College Cranbourne

Wall-mounted acoustic panels let people in libraries have their peace and quiet by dampening, softening, and redistributing sounds. Unlike hard, reflective surfaces, acoustic panels can trap and contain sharp sound waves, reducing background noise and minimising echoes.

Shelving can also be used to help block noise from more collaborative zones that might disturb a quiet study area. Position your cosy, quiet reading area away from the entrance and away from fiction collections, for example, where classes may often gather to enthusiastically choose books.

Miriam Tuohy is the Senior Specialist of School Library Development at National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, and provided some top recommendations for schools ahead of any planned library transformation…

Include your school library team in the planning phase and visit other school library spaces for inspiration. Establish a project team that combines knowledge and experience in teaching and learning, architecture and design, and library development. Involve your school community in the

1.

Can you organise or partition the library, so it can be used throughout the refurbishment while keeping staff, students, books, and equipment safe and secure?

2.

Can you create a temporary library elsewhere in the school? Will you need to relocate or find extra shelving? Or store books, furniture, and equipment?

3.

Will your staff need extra hours or support to adapt your existing library, create a temporary one, or set up the refurbished space when it’s ready?

process and keep everyone up to date as you go. They’ll be excited to see progress reports and the end results!”

Key trend: configuring zones Mobile shelving, and furniture that’s easy to move, stack or compact, makes it simple to reconfigure the library as needed. For example, students can move soft seating such as beanbags or cushions to find a quiet reading spot or sit together to socialise. It’s also useful to position mobile shelving, moveable whiteboards, and

Rob Jones is Autex Acoustic’s Technical and Development Manager, and let us know the key acoustic recommendations for school library upgrades…

Libraries are no longer just a place to find a book but increasingly function as multipurpose spaces. Group gatherings occur regularly and can include audio-visual events, and often occur alongside individuals studying and researching, making library acoustics more noticeable than ever.

As library use continues to diversify, their acoustic requirements will continue to complexify. For this reason, the placement and use of noise absorbing surfaces, ceiling structures, and absorptive furniture are important as they all work to help lower noise levels and attenuate noise flow via reflections. Soft floor coverings help reduce noise-flow too.

Image courtesy of Learning Spaces Global

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ADMINISTRATION

Most importantly, however, acoustic planning and zoning is a key tool to help schools overcome acoustic challenges in relation to minimising noise disturbance.

Zoning should consider how to Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

maximise distance between areas where group or collaborative activities will take place.

Lowering the ceiling heights with highly absorptive ceilings helps create a more intimate area, so that individuals within a group can hear each other without needing to raise their voices. These systems often can be suspended from the existing structures meaning little site works and minimal disruptions. Furniture can also create barriers to reduce direct noise flow throughout the area.

For retrofit applications and the loss of dense bookshelves, wall surfaces can be treated with noise absorbing linings that doubleup as pinboards. Even old brick walls that reflect most of the sound can be transformed into features with little building work.

Heinz Woodman is a representative from Learning Spaces Global and spoke with us about emerging design trends…

Design trends have changed the way indoor spaces work and a lot of research shows what benefits these changes may have to

learning. One aspect is increased emphasis on collaboration and group study. Schools should choose different shaped tables that can be separated or pushed together for different sized groups, as well as smaller ottomans and sofas; all shelving and storage should be on castors to adapt the space to different groups.

Biophilic design is increasingly popular as it brings the outside in by using plants and other natural elements. Plants can sit on top of furniture or along the walls.

Plenty of large, open windows and doors also help fill the space with light and boost airflow too.

Creative spaces tap into the personality of each school: Why not replace a traditional bookcase with a large plywood tree for book storage, fabric and acoustic leaves intact? School libraries love to include a reading nook that students can curl up in with a book, squab seating beside a window, large floor cushions and comfortable rugs, as well as hanging acoustic shapes to reduce unwanted noise. There is no shortage of creative options.”

Need help creating your ideal library?

The National Library’s team of Capability Facilitators can help you create an exciting and engaging library space that your school community will love.

Our service is free, and available nationwide.

Whether your plans are for a purpose-built library, a classroom conversion, or integration into a larger innovative learning environment, we can help you: •

find inspiration, and create a vision for your school library

•

involve the school community as you explore possibilities for your library

•

use our planning tools, resources and guidance including information about furniture, fittings, and library technology.

Developing your library environment and library services go hand in hand. To find out more about how we can help you create a library space and services that support teaching and learning, reading for pleasure and wellbeing, get in touch!

For more information please call 0800 LIBLINE (0800 542 5463) or email schoollibraryadvice@dia.govt.nz

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Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

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For more information, please call +64 9-9513081 or email info.oceania@saltosystems.com www.saltosystems.co.nz

21

© stock.adobe.com

Empower teachers and school leaders with quality PLD

By Heather Barker Vermeer Industry Reporter

When developments in curriculum and pedagogy arise, PLD must fill gaps in capabilities so that schools and teaching staff can meet new requirements.

One of the most hotly criticised aspects of the profession, this process remains pivotal for career development, whether you’re a teacher or in a school leadership position, and it is also significant for school growth and student outcomes.

Therefore, planned professional

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development should support both individual goals as well as contributing to a whole-school approach in improving workplace culture and instilling a strong team ethic at your school.

The Curriculum Progress and Achievement Ministerial Advisory Group identified a need for professional learning and development to be strengthened to better recognise people's diverse needs and contexts, and to be clearer about what growth in core curriculum capabilities looks like.

All PLD should be culturally responsive, so when researching and choosing a new facilitator, schools should do their due

diligence by asking about the provider’s practice. For instance, ask how their PLD model recognises and supports marginalised groups of staff and learners. How have they developed their PLD approach?

Is it evidence-based? Which schools have they worked with previously? Are they community engaged? Reaching out to schools who have worked with them previously is a great way to gage whether their approach to PLD will align with the needs of your school.

Subject Specific and Leadership PLD Teachers can undertake a wealth

TEACHER’S DESK

of PLD to brush up on digital skills; for instance, attending workshops and webinars on how to integrate Minecraft or other software into your pedagogy.

For subject-specific PLD like Literacy PLD or Mathematics and Statistics PLD, it is a good idea to ask facilitators about their approach—does it align with your school’s? Some providers design their PLD framework to help schools reflect on their existing strategy and assess for improvement.

This can be a terrific tool for school leaders, particularly as the curriculum evolves, so should be factored into your PLD facilitator selection criteria.

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

Leadership development is an asset to all schools; particularly new schools who can benefit from PLD facilitated guidance in the creation of trustee boards. Existing schools can also engage PLS facilitators for mentorship on running performance reviews and appraisals, and on developing leadership within Kāhui Ako.

MoE Hybrid Learning PLD The Ministry of Education says that it supports professional learning opportunities “to be consistently high quality and coherent with Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and the New Zealand Curriculum,” which includes ongoing professional learning and development across the education system, with a range of funded services to assist schools, kura, Kāhui Ako and clusters as they identify their unique development opportunities to better support the learning and well-being needs of ākonga and their whānau in their community, with a focus on those whose needs are not currently met.

The current priorities for English medium settings are cultural capability, local curriculum design and assessment for learning. With the priorities for Māori medium and te reo Māori settings being mātauranga Māori and te reo Māori, marau ā-kura and aromatawai.

Digital fluency remains a priority in all settings and remains key to enable effective hybrid and remote learning, deep into the Omicron era.

Current PLD opportunities available through the Ministry of Education include hybrid learning PLD support. As of mid-February, schools and kura are now able access up to 25 hours of support.

The Ministry says this is, “to develop understanding, processes and resources that will ensure the learning of all ākonga continues regardless of whether they are in school or offsite”.

The support can also help school leaders plan for the possibility of learning disruptions due to staff illness or absence due to COVID isolation requirements.

This PLD support has a threemonth time limit on delivery and must be done virtually, by a PLD facilitator. The MoE’s intention is for this “support to be given to any school or kura who requests it”, “regardless of any existing PLD allocations”.

Obtaining Hybrid Learning PLD follows a streamlined process for COVID specific support and 8-25 hours of PLD can be accessed via Regional Office PLD Teams.

subject areas to support the upcoming NCEA changes.

MoE Adjusts for NCEA changes

Micro-credentials and Postgrad Options

Support for NCEA change through PLD is another opportunity currently available to school leaders and teachers across Aotearoa. The Ministry of Education encourages schools to apply for Regionally Allocated PLD to support the implementation of NCEA changes in their schools, applying under the Local Curriculum Design priority.

In December, the Ministry’s facilitator database was updated to include a specialisation category to assist secondary schools to identify facilitators who can lead PLD in specific

For teachers that love learning, micro-credentials are a useful option; particularly for those interested in pursuing postgraduate study but unsure about what to study. An NZQAregistered postgraduate facility, tertiary institute or other higher learning provider can offer a wide range of short courses (most are online-only, with live or in-person facilitated classes) in areas like sustainability and digital skills. Some microcredentials can be stacked; take multiple courses to work toward a postgraduate certificate, or even a master’s degree.

Schools can choose multiple facilitators across multiple provider organisations to deliver their PLD, if required. For example, a facilitator with NCEA Science as a specialisation and a facilitator with Mātauranga Māori as a specialisation might work together to plan and facilitate your PLD.

PLD for Teachers by Teachers - we get it!

Digital Circus has been working with kaiako and kura to support their professional learning since 2017.

provide, aligning these with local curriculum integration.

With ākonga at the centre, we develop deeper learning across curriculum areas and focus on student agency, choice and voice.

We are currently working with over 100 schools around Aotearoa, New Zealand. Our PLD is free and fully funded through the Minstry of Education.

Our sustainable and integrated approach to PLD means we kōrero with each teacher, meet them where they are at, and provide practical and relevant solutions and ideas that work for today's learners. We co-create rich experiences and useful hands-on resources to support empowerment and change.

At the heart of what we do is whanaungatanga. Our people know that establishing trust and building strong relationships provide the 'glue' that empowers kaiako. Our small team of facilitators are recently out of the classroom and are passionate about getting alongside teachers - planning, modelling and supporting teachers in their mahi.

We guide teachers to explore the opportunities and experiences that digital technologies and future focused pedagogies Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

By supporting kaiako to implement useful and relevant strategies and resources in the classroom, we empower them to move forward, creating a more inclusive and equitable Aotearoa, New Zealand for all.

PERSONALISED PLD For Teachers By Teachers Localised Curriculum Digital Fluency Digital Technologies Digital Citizenship Hybrid Learning STEAM + Project-Based Learning

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Visit www.digitalcircus.org.nz TEACHER’S DESK

23

What would it take to reach educational Everest?

By Arran Hamilton

The global research on education effectiveness is now stronger than ever, with more than 1.5 million books and articles on how to teach, how to manage schools, how to design curricula, and how to progress students best in their learning.

Good times indeed.

That research also suggests that teachers make the biggest difference to the learning lives of children (no major surprises).

But that, often, pre-service teacher training and licensing does not adequately prepare teachers to hit the ground running (a consensus view in the research literature but not widely trumpeted).

Enter stage left, professional learning and development (PLD). We know from the data that teachers learn most during their first three years, through trial and error.

We also know that high-quality professional learning during this period (and into the longterm) enhances their impact.

But as the great Michael Fullan

lamented, all the way back in 1991: “Nothing has promised so much and has been so frustratingly wasteful as the thousands of workshops and conferences that led to no significant change in practice when teachers returned to their classrooms”.

Since Fullan wrote those words, there has been much research on the critical ‘active ingredients’ of outstanding teacher professional development. And there is now a strong consensus around critical features like: knowledge and understanding; motivating goals; modelling; deliberate practise; spaced learning; communities of practice; coaching; and feedback.

There’s also a moderate consensus on the importance of the PLD being placed within the subject context and taking place within the school.

That was until last year, when a new systematic review by Sims and Fletcher-Wood (2021) seriously questioned the empirical foundations of both the strong and moderate consensus.

Whilst they did not disagree with any of the above or say that it was harmful, Sims and colleagues instead concluded that the research evidence is not (yet) strong enough for us to know (for sure) how to deliver effective professional

development, that genuinely pushes the need to drive changes for student achievement. That it's still an open question.

Recognising that there are multiple viable paths for schools to reach the top of “educational Everest” and that there are still gaps in the global knowledge about which PLD approaches really do work best, at Cognition Education we are working to support impact from a different angle.

Rather than obsessing over the mechanisms of PLD, we instead privilege the impact and evidence of impact. And this means that over the last 12 months we have been putting two new structures in place across ALL our work:

Evaluation, evaluation, evaluation We have rolled out standardised tools to measure satisfaction, implementation, and impact across our PLD engagements.

The purpose isn’t to collect data for its own sake but to interrogate outcomes for unrelenting improvement.

The Cognition Way Recognising that there are many viable paths to the top and that Everest isn’t the only mountain worth climbing – we have also developed protocols to help our clients achieve really ambitious goals of their choosing. We call this approach The Cognition Way; and the kitset is used by our teams to help schools identify and validate their most pressing local education challenges; to build a theory of the present; agree an ambition for the future; and then to co-develop theories of improvement and action. We then co-deliver, which brings us full circle to evaluation – so that we can collectively know and grow our impact.

These processes have been meticulously researched and field-tested and are also the subject of a new book Building to Impact: The 5D Implementation Playbook for Educators – cowritten by the Cognition team and scholars at Melbourne University.

For us, it’s all about your impact and helping you to get there on your terms!

If this article has raised any questions for you about the impact of your professional development, or how the Cognition Way could be used to support your school, please get in touch with us. www.cognitioneducation.co.nz

Sims, S., & Fletcher-Wood, H. (2021). Identifying the characteristics of effective teacher professional development: a critical review. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 1-17. doi:10.1080/09243453.2020.1772841

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TEACHER’S DESK

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

You have a gift for walking alongside others as they learn.

GRAEME WHITEHEAD PRINCIPAL EXCELLERE COLLEGE

Contact our expert team of education consultants for PLD support today. www.cognitioneducation.co.nz

From curious to empowered:

A teacher’s journey to her Masters Jamie Leckie is a New Entrants Teacher at Coromandel Area School, and completed The Mind Lab’s Postgraduate Certificate in Digital & Collaborative Learning, then continued on with her Master of Contemporary Education.

While completing a Masters is no mean feat, Jamie discovered that her studies fit in well with her life as a busy teacher. She says her projects didn’t feel like “work”, instead, they empowered her to share knowledge with her learning community.

“It’s not work, it’s completely passion. It’s my gift, I want to give this to people,” says Jamie.

Her Masters project was a professional development tool giving teachers the skills to implement play based learning, which she discovered helped to improve her students behaviour and grades.

Meeting with the principal after each one of her classes to share her new-found knowledge, Jamie is now educating fellow teachers on how to implement play based learning. “[Studying] was about growing my capabilities, so I could help the students grow theirs.”

Jamie Leckie, teacher and graduate of The Mind Lab

With The Mind Lab’s flexible learning approach, not only was it possible to study remotely, but create lifelong friends in the process. With like minded mates across the country, Jamie was thankful for the collaborative environment that allowed relationships to be built with peers and advisors over the two year period.

This strong support network was a highlight for Jamie because being in the Coromandel, she initially felt isolated to the idea of further study. “It was amazing to be able to get this information, learn from across Aotearoa, and bring that knowledge back to school,” she says.

Jamie started her journey at The Mind Lab to grow her capabilities, so her students could grow theirs too. Before diving into her Masters Degree, she completed the Postgraduate Certificate in Digital and Collaborate Learning, which took her out of her comfort zone.

“I’m young, I thought I was quite techy and knew how to navigate my way around apps and allof that, but I learnt so much!” says Jamie.

Being so practical and hands on, Jamie loved how the class was on Thursday evening, so she would return to school on Friday and go through what she’d learnt with her Year 4 students.

Jamie was impressed with the amount of support offered by The Mind Lab, whether it was in-person or online, her tutors were quick at responding to emails, and any group work was made easy by instant messaging on Slack.

“There is so much instant support online, everything is there that you need. If you needed someone to talk to, they were there,” says Jamie.

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Not only was it beneficial for her own self growth, but exposed her students to “a whole new world”. The most memorable lesson was when she made VR goggles out of cardboard for the kids, as taught in her course.

‘We’re going on a plane! We’re looking at a desert! We’re at the zoo!?’, the students said in awe, and Jamie realised that these were simple things that she had taken for granted, that these small town Coromandel kids had never experienced.

“It was cool to not only bring it back as technology skills but as life experiences,” Jamie said.

At school prizegiving, Jamie was recognised for her achievement on stage, where her students could cheer her on for completing the course. “It was really cool for the kids to see me as a learner, rather than just a teacher.”

From feelings of isolation to achieving her Masters, Jamie says she felt curious on day one - a bit unsure of what was to come and empowered on her final day as a student at The Mind Lab.

Dr David Parsons facilitates classes via Zoom

TEACHER’S DESK

Jamie hopes to continue learning to aid her school and students. “Watch this space!”

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

$

$

$

Problem-solving the maths decline

By Heather Barker Vermeer Industry Reporter

All schools are wellaware of the national problem: Aotearoa New Zealand needs to improve student outcomes in mathematics. But how?

In March 2022, the government unveiled a new five-year Literacy & Communication and Maths Strategy, which introduces a common practice model that the Ministry emphasises “does not mean creating one-sizesits all approaches, rather it is about creating greater national consistency”.

The strategy document outlines steps for maths progress under five focus areas: 1.

2.

3.

Clear expectations for teaching and learning guide effective practice Capability supports along the career pathway develop effective Kaiako and teachers who can meet the needs of diverse groups of learners

Under each of these, sit five practical undertakings. For example, under point 1, there is: 1.1

Refresh maths learning described in the NZC

1.2

Replace the Learning Progression Framework with a progression for schooling that shows the sequence of learning for numeracy

1.3

Develop resources and guidance to help kaiako understand children’s progress in numeracy in the early years, as part of a common practice model

Educationally powerful connections support and enhance learning

4.

A system of learning supports responds to the needs of every learner

5.

System-wide evaluation supports a system that learns

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Images courtesy of Symphony Math program

1.4

Develop guidance on how to teach maths in schooling, as part of a common practice model

1.5

Safeguard maths teaching and learning time

Practical detail on Focus Areas 2 – 5 can be viewed in the maths section of the strategy document, from page 20 onwards.

This new strategy follows the colossal 56-page independent report on the English-language mathematics and statistics curriculum published by the Royal Society Te Apārangi late last year. Fourteen key recommendations for systemic change were put to the Ministry of Education in the report, some of which Associate Education Minister Jan Tinetti said at the time had already begun, such as "phasing out streaming, providing quality professional learning development for teachers and reducing inequities in education”.

TEACHING RESOURCES

Massey University Distinguished Professor Gaven Martin chaired the expert panel that oversaw the Society’s original independent report and stressed at the time that teachers should not be blamed for the maths decline: “They have met all the requirements placed on them to be fully qualified and cannot be blamed for how the system works.” His response to March’s strategy announcement was positive, with a ‘time will tell’ footnote.

He told School News: “I’d first say that the Government’s strategy is still high level, and the devil will be in the details. Nevertheless, I would say that what has been proposed aligns very closely with the Royal Society Te Apārangi report’s recommendations, and we are very happy with that.

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

Visual mathematics and well-chosen manipulatives promote deeper understanding and increased brain activity.

When students use Symphony Math they see WKHLU VROXWLRQV MXVWLȴHG ZLWK YLVXDO PRGHOV 7KLV UHLQIRUFHV WKH UHODWLRQVKLS EHWZHHQ number sense and spacial-relationships, promoting greater understanding and DOORZLQJ PRUH RSSRUWXQLW\ IRU FRQYHUVDWLRQ DQG UHȵHFWLRQ DV VWXGHQWV EXLOG WR PDVWHU\

“The children like Symphony Math because it challenges them at their own level. They like that lower levels look the same so it’s not noticeable to others if they are working on a lower level. They say the challenges are fun and they like that they can hear and read the questions at the same time.”

- Adrianne Burke, SENCO, Panmure Bridge School

Visual Learning Deep Understanding of Number Adaptive Year 1-6 Instruction Year 7+ Math Remediation Math Journaling Real-Time Data Instructional Materials Free 10 week School Trials www.itecnz.co.nz info@itecnz.co.nz

language being used about supporting students to get a good handle on the basics as early as possible, just to make it very clear to everyone.”

Industry Perspectives on School Maths Programmes Caxton Educational Author, Maryanne Tipler pointed out a few issues that may be contributing to the maths decline: “New Zealand has a primary school teaching population where many are not comfortable with teaching mathematics. Many primary teachers who received their professional development in mathematics through the Numeracy Project only teach numeracy, so there is a diminishing achievement in the other strands.

Image courtesy of Caxton Educational

“As for implementation, it is true that the implementation of some of the recommendations had begun earlier – we had discussed initial recommendations with Ministry of Education a while before the report was released of course. But this is a large and complex process and ‘fruition’ is still some ways off – as is to be expected. However, this seems to be the right path, and structures and support will be needed to ensure we stay on this path.”

Professor Martin reflected on the failings that have led to the release of the new five-year strategy. He said: “One of the problems of the numeracy project two decades ago was that no oversight of its longterm implementation was provided, and it quickly went off the rails. And from there, things just kept getting worse.

“As a personal view (but also clear in our report) is that we would like to see a bit more

Primary school teachers need expanded guidance, ongoing professional development, and access to good, recommended resources to help them to produce programs of mathematics that cater for the needs of their students. Online maths games and resources can be a valuable tool in gaining the attention of students who would otherwise not engage with conventional maths resources but should be used as a component, not a replacement,

of a program of mathematics.

Furthermore: “Although the mathematics curriculum itself is sound, the fleshing out of the objectives and support to teach them is not coherent or easy to access. Teachers depend on a range of resources to develop their program and do not always select those most suitable for their class. Many teachers are influenced by, and rely on, commercial online sites and paper resources, such as fill-in-the-gap worksheets, that are not written for the NZ curriculum. Using these types of material does not facilitate understanding of mathematical concepts or encourage students to record their mathematical thinking and explain their reasoning, skills which are required at higher levels.

She added: “Recent research shows that good print-based materials improve overall comprehension. To improve mathematics standards, schools should choose resources written specifically for the New Zealand curriculum. This would encourage the recording of mathematical thinking, provide opportunity and practice at mathematical problem solving, the discussion of mathematical concepts and encourage understanding of mathematics alongside a sound

Image courtesy of EduMaxi

30

TEACHING RESOURCES

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

knowledge of basic facts.”

Janine Trembath, representative from ITECNZ, Symphony Math said: “When considering math programs, look for options that go beyond gamification to actively developing and demonstrating math concepts.

Use program work as a basis for deeper discussion in class, establishing sound foundations and a joy in math discovery.”

She explained: “Good math programs ask students to model their answers to demonstrate conceptual understanding.

Traditional models such as number lines, bars/blocks, and counters of equal size, provide a clear, consistent way of modelling math. Math is uniform. Dienes Blocks for example have blocks of equal size representing one unit, helping students to form a deep understanding of quantity and our base 10 counting system.

Recall of basic facts is also prerequisite to success with higher maths reasoning. Rote learning tables and families of facts builds math fluency as well as introducing early math

concepts. Times tables are the math equivalent of sight words, and mastery builds confidence.

Students need a strong foundation in number: “Fractions are frequently cited as being where the wheels fell off, which is often an indicator that earlier skills were not deeply understood. I have observed that students of all ages commonly trip up on a specific question where the equals sign is moved in the equation. I believe two main things are happening here: first, some students are not taking time to think through what the math equation is really saying before answering, which is an important skill to encourage because changing one factor changes the answer; second, many students do not know what the equals sign really means.

Therefore, they don’t understand that everything on the left of the equals sign has the same total value as everything on its right.

This is a vital math concept and of course important to finding missing integers. The equal sign does not mean ‘the answer is’.

Madelize Bekker, Managing

Curious about Caxton Educational CaxEd publishes the popular NZ Curriculum Mathematics – Stages numeracy series and the award-winning NZ Curriculum Mathematics – Connecting All Strands series, which weaves all the NZ Curriculum strands into one Student Text per year (Years 3-8) establishing a solid backbone for your maths programme.

CaxEd offers Online Teacher Support via their website to complement the Connecting All Strands texts.

Printable masters, interactive games, teaching strategies, and extra tasks for every Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

Director at EduMaxi believes that “we need to carefully consider what these declining math outcomes are and how they are assessed”.

She said: “There should be a system and process in place which allows for adjusting outcomes and assessment methods more frequently than we are currently doing.

Adjustment should not primarlily be for test validity and reliability but also for context relevance. For example, ten years ago (maybe even five years ago), being able to accurately answer a question about how much change you should receive when paying for something would have been very relevant and an important outcome to achieve. Today, many junior primary students would not be able to relate to paying with cash in a world of mobile payments where there is no such thing as ‘receiving change after a payment’.

“Since maths can be directly linked to financial success and quality of life, it is crucial to ensure students are capable

and literate. Therefore, the kind of programs that are relevant to modern life, flexible, and agile when it comes to accommodating change are the ones that may help turn things around (if we ensure we also adjust assessment).”

Madelize suggested that programmes can help develop problem-solving skills and confidence in mathematical concepts while keeping students of all abilities and needs engaged, in a few different ways: “Encouraging daily routines to establish and consolidate basic facts; presenting openended questions to encourage discussion and debate; making maths concepts relevant to daily life (this could be tricky because of different socioeconomic circumstances of students but this is where I think AI and adaptive instruction will massively help); setting varied goals so that the goals are always smart and realistic for each student; and finally, by making use of good illustrations and design to help students visualise problems and solutions.”

AWARD WINNING

MATHS TEXTBOOKS WITH

free ONLINE TEACHER SUPPORT

chapter add more excellent activities for extension or extra practice to the highquality tasks in the books.

Schools that have purchased this series can access these online resources at no cost.

The Ministry of Education’s latest study shows that textbooks outperform computer or tablet-based learning.

Email mel@caxed.co.nz or visit www.caxed.co.nz.

Give your students the best advantage to excel at maths. They use our textbooks, while you have all our free online teacher support.

YOUR STUDENTS DESERVE THIS! mel@caxed.co.nz www.caxed.co.nz

TEACHING RESOURCES

31

OP-ED

Build your maths programme around student confidence Imagine a New Zealand primary school where students choose to do maths first thing in the morning, before the bell rings…

is shaped by my own positive learning experiences and almost 20 years re-creating those positive experiences to improve learning outcomes for many primary and secondary students. Reassuringly, there is plenty of evidence to support my approach.

Not just a few students, but more than 20 in a single classroom…

The children know they could read a book, or kick a ball outside, but instead choose to do maths.

Dr Audrey Tan Mathematics PLD

In fact, no imagination is necessary, because this is the exciting new reality at a Kāpiti Coast school I worked with recently.

Striving for understanding does not equal high maths performance

Following years of ineffective professional learning and development (PLD) and diminishing returns, this school set a new direction for its maths programme this year.

Many schools have learned the hard way that New Zealand’s 20-year quest to raise student maths performance by developing a deep understanding of numbers has, ironically, not developed much understanding at all. Instead of creating flexible problem solvers, the premature exposure to a plethora of mental number strategies has left children confused rather than enlightened.

Thanks to a few key interventions, students are now fully engaged and feeling the love for maths.

The children may not even realise the extra practice they do will increase their fluency with numbers and free up their working memory, helping to improve their understanding and handle more complex tasks.

For now, the children simply enjoy experiencing success and are growing in confidence.

It’s no wonder national confidence in maths is at an all-time low; it breaks my heart because I know it simply doesn’t have to be this way.

I am a life-long learner of maths. My understanding of teaching and learning maths

Meaningful practice and repetition does not equal rote learning Research published in a recent report by the Ministry of Education found that confidence in maths is positively associated with achievement, more so than liking or valuing maths, and particularly for older learners.

In my experience, successful practice builds confidence. It is a highly effective learning strategy because, when students feel confident, they are emotionally and cognitively ready to improve their understanding and make their learning meaningful.

The benefits of practice might be downplayed for fear of students rote learning without understanding, but it is the teacher’s job to ensure that doesn’t happen. Repetition is actually important for mathematical cognition.

Without repetition, students cannot spot patterns. Without patterns, students cannot develop algebraic thinking.

Focus on explicit teaching before inquiry Inquiry-based approaches sound wonderful; who doesn’t find the idea of children learning through their natural curiosity, discovering things for themselves, appealing?

Sadly, the reality is that the annual average progress in maths achievement in the upper primary and lower secondary years is not sufficient to meet curriculum expectations. Schools need to move faster and smarter.

32

TEACHING RESOURCES

More worryingly, inquiry-based approaches are unwittingly widening the achievement gap. Problem solving and rich tasks are only rewarding when students already have the necessary knowledge and skills for effective inquiry.

Students with access to more resources clearly have the advantage in this type of learning environment, but teachers can level the playing field by explicitly teaching all students the prerequisite knowledge and skills before they try to solve novel or challenging problems.

The notion that whole-class explicit teaching is not student-centred enough for today’s modern learning must be challenged.

Explicit teaching is about giving students the benefit of our knowledge and experience to make their learning more successful and enjoyable. Wholeclass teaching is about creating a synergy in the classroom, where students know they are fully supported by their teacher and progressing with their peers.

Again, the evidence is on my side.

Explicit teaching, scaffolding, deliberate practice, classroom discussion and self-efficacy are all highly effective influences on student achievement.

The school at the start of this article exemplifies my vision of a brighter future for maths education in New Zealand. It is not the first to experience such a positive transformation in their students and it certainly won’t be the last. After examining the evidence, the road ahead for schools should be clear.

Dr Audrey Tan provides mathematical solutions of the highest quality, including PLD to schools. She brings her Mathematics qualifications and professional STEM experience to the education sector with her solutions-focussed, team-based approach to solving problems.

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

Sowing seeds on stage

Images courtesy of JPRO

By Heather Barker Vermeer Industry Reporter

I must’ve only been about six years old. I remember I ripped up my best party dress to look like Cinders! My mum wasn’t happy!”

Chatting to Michael Keaton outside a café on Santa Monica Boulevard, meeting Gary Oldman on set, being snapped up

by Hollywood agent…

If you’d have told a young Julie Collis this is what life would look like for her in her mid-60s, she’d likely have laughed out loud.

But the former Westlake Girls’ teacher found herself in all these crazy-good scenarios for real.

And her acting career, as many others, started with a flame that was lit in her school production.

Kiwi theatregoers may recognise Julie; she’s trod the boards in New Zealand productions for years and is a familiar face beyond theatre, due to

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

Julie Collis

Photo: Heather Barker Vermeer

commercials and television appearances, including the local acting staple, Shortland Street.

Not hailing from an acting family, she developed a love of the art at primary school in Banbury, England, where she grew up.

“I was always in the school productions. My first show was Cinderella at primary school,

The former teacher has also engaged in many in-school productions, workshops and theatre trainings and recognises the value of theatre in schools as an incursion experience.

She has been part of touring production companies that work with schools not only to perform but to include schoolchildren in immersive incursion experiences.

On a broader, global stage, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s stratospheric success started small, when as a young boy he would put on family ‘productions’ with his Aunt Viola in his toy theatre (which he built at his Aunt Viola's suggestion). His aunt Viola was an actress who took

TEACHING RESOURCES

him to see many of her shows and through the stage door into the world of the theatre. The power of exposure to a passion in childhood is limitless.

Creating a platform for dramatic, comedic, or musical theatre is to open a treasure box of potential for all involved, not only for those keen for the limelight. The technical, audio, lighting, wardrobe, makeup, set design, props and musician requirements of a production allow for a range of students and staff to pull together to create an unforgettable experience.

There is rarely a stage production that does not run into challenges and the collective overcoming of adversity and ‘show must go on’ spirit imbues lessons and memories that transcend show week.

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Industry Viewpoints: How can schools stage stand out theatre productions?

The top tip from audio and video solution specialists, Tim Robertson and Andrew Sorrill from JPRO is to make sure that “all the technical queues are executed on time (especially the audio) and that everyone is heard through the sound system”. They clarified: “Making use of good microphone technique and microphone placement really goes a long way towards making a production seem more professional.”

In terms of resources: “A technical budget, factoring in technical rehearsals, is key so that the operators and actors are familiar with the equipment, microphones and scripts. This should be a consideration in the early planning stages of the production. Ensure that the AV system used is suitable for the production. If there is an in-house system, check that it is set up properly to accommodate the acoustics and microphones in the venue.

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Image courtesy of Theatrelight

“If many wireless microphones are used, make sure that there are no frequency clashes that cause unwanted interference and audio drop out. If external contractors are used, include the school technical team (as stagehands or runners, etc.)

This can be a fantastic learning experience for them and most

of the time the school teams thoroughly enjoy helping.”

On planning a pandemic-era production: “Use separate vocal microphones as far as possible.

Carefully remove and clean the microphone grilles and foam windscreens (pop filters) monthly with boiling water and a sanitiser.

A competent technical person

TEACHING RESOURCES

should do this, or they can show someone how to remove the grilles. The pop filters can be washed more often if necessary.”

For incursion AV: “Running technical rehearsals and educating actors on the correct use of microphones is always well received and ensures a far smoother production.

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

We have involved school tech teams in productions and the youngsters really enjoy helping. This is an excellent practical learning experience for them that they can apply after the production.”

For stage lighting specialist and Theatrelight representative, Phillip Dexter, professional quality lighting and sound makes all the difference for school stage productions.

“As many school shows become more ambitious, the time taken to organise the technical aspect of a show (lights and sound) can’t be underestimated. Work out ahead of time the sort of lighting you want, write out a list of the lighting changes (cues) and number them adding these cue numbers to the corresponding places in your script.

"This means as things get busier you don’t have to worry about what should be happening lighting-wise as you can look at your cue sheet and script to visualise what it will look like.

"This also becomes the basis for the lighting team to make their plan and rig their lights

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

so forward the list to them ahead of a meeting to work through it so that everyone is on the same page.

"There is no point in rigging lights when you don’t know what you want to do with them.

"This will save time and money as only lights rigged will be lights needed.”

For stage lighting resources: “The advent of LED stage lights (luminairs) has meant that lighting can do more, use less power, and require less maintenance. School environments are some of the toughest places stage lights are found. Cheapest isn’t always best: look for ease of operation, light output, and serviceability.

Choose lights with fewer moving parts and purchase from a reputable agent who can advise on warranty and service the equipment. Many LED lights have an expected LED life of up to 40,000 hours; for a school that could work out to 10 years or more so pick a supplier who is likely to be around that long. Choose lights that are repairable not disposable.”

TEACHING RESOURCES

Images courtesy of Theatrelight

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© stock.adobe.com

EOTC opportunities to explore

in and around Rotorua

By Heather Barker Vermeer Industry Reporter

Seen by many as the nation’s cultural capital, Rotorua ticks a lot of boxes for a lot of schools when planning a trip in this country.

Well-known for its geysers and geo-thermal pools, and often dubbed ‘Nature’s Spa of the South Pacific’, this sulphurous scented central North Island city has much more to explore. The lake-filled region has plenty to offer school groups of all ages, abilities and sizes, with its many traditional Māori experiences, rich natural landscapes, arts, activities and adventures.

Many of the accommodation sites in Rotorua make use of the naturally heated water by providing spa pools on site.

Lakeside accommodation options such as Blue Lake TOP 10 Holiday Park Rotorua are particularly ideal for school groups; cabins, motels, self-contained units, and camping

36

Image courtesy of Blue Lake TOP 10 Holiday Park Rotorua

options all provide a good balance of cost-effectiveness, cleanliness, and proximity to adventure with a back to nature buzz.

Holiday Park Managers can further extend learning opportunities by helping to arrange tours and activities. Call ahead to make sure your cabins or rooms are nice and close to the amenities; and remember to book ahead with larger groups, particularly if you aim to travel during December or January.

P38 EOTC

© stock.adobe.com

Accessible by car or coach in a few hours from almost anywhere in the North Island, it’s a sensible option for travel.

Direct flights from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch are also available. Once there, it’s an easy area to navigate by road, with 18 lakes offering opportunities on the water.

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

We are excited to have teamed with Rotorua Canopy Tours this issue to offer one School the opportunity to win an exclusive experience for 9 students and 1 or 2 accompanying adults.

on saving our natural heritage when we work together. This package is valued at $1,590.

Your group will be looked after in every way while two kiwi guides lead your group through an ancient New Zealand Forest via ziplines, swing bridges and tree-based platforms.

To enter all you need to do is register to receive the School News Weekly e-newsletter. Head to www.schoolnews. co.nz . If you already receive the newsletter, send Dee an email and she’ll add you to the draw: d.dawson@multimediapublishing. co.nz. Make your colleagues aware so they can sign up too and give your school the best chance of winning this fabulous prize.

Voted by trip advisor as Best Nature Experience in the World in 2021 you’ll learn about native flora and fauna, sustainability, and conservation as well as the positive impact tourism can have

*Minimum age 5yrs (experience dependant), maximum weight 120kgs. Can be used in Term time only. Not on weekends, holidays or public holidays. Group can be bigger but either way you’ll save $1590! Entries close: 30th June 2022.

FREE Teacher Pass: As a thank you to the wonderful work our educators do Rotorua Canopy Tours is also offering all Kaiako (teachers/instructors) a free pass to experience their award-winning Original Canopy Tour first hand. Enjoy this premium experience that showcases the potential and success of restoration in NZ while delivering an educational and fun activity for all school aged students and adults to enjoy, together. Add the Promo code LIFELEARNERS when booking online to receive a free adult pass within any booking or contact Rotorua Canopy Tours direct. *This offer is valid until November 30th 2022. Please get in touch with Rotorua Canopy Tours with any queries.

Inspire, engage, connect

TAILORED EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES FOR ALL AGES

"

ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME, THE ZIPLINING AND ENVIRONMENT WAS AMAZING AND FUN. NOT ONLY IS IT AN ADVENTURE BUT ALSO AN EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE

So much more than the ziplines, our adventures are highly engaging, unique, educational experiences and can be adjusted to focus on conservation, tourism, business studies, biology, geology, team building and more...

"

Rawiri Wihapi Principal Mokoia Intermediate & President Rotorua Principals Association

Thanks to our intensive restoration we have removed thousands of pests from this ancient native forest and rare native birds, skinks, plants and fungi have all returned - making it a classroom like no other. Your groups fees will contribute to the restoration and they will become part of our unique conservation story.

Students have the time of their lives while being actively involved - gaining confidenence, working as a team - we help them get the most out of this unique eco-tourism adventure.

INSPIRING LIFE-LONG LEARNING.

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

Get in touch to see how we can help tailor your educational experience.

FREEPHONE PHONE

0800 CANOPY (0800 226 679) +64 (0) 7 343 1001

www.canopytours.co.nz EOTC

37

© stock.adobe.com

P36 The ancient forests surrounding Rotorua are a delight, day and night. You can take students on a world-renowned canopy tour of ancient NZ treelines; which often include thrilling swing bridges and epic adventure ziplines, but the knowledgeable tour guides will ensure students are thoroughly engaged in learning during these oncein-a-lifetime experiences.

aroma of the area adding something of note to the visual and auditory feast.

The bubbling hot pools and firing fountains of water and steam offer opportunities for some creative captures with a camera.

Hells Gate is the only location in New Zealand where visitors can experience a mud bath in some of the finest mineral mud in the world; students can learn about its significance to Māori culture. Traditional

Māori, customs, practices and beliefs are integral to Rotorua’s past and present. The region is home to many mesmerising cultural tours and performances, showcasing historic lifestyles and traditions, mythology and art.

Rotorua is also an internationally renowned destination for mountain biking, and schools around the country travel there to undertake cycling tours.

Whakarewarewa Forest provides 200 kilometres of purpose-built mountain biking trails woven into the landscape to provide routes to suit everyone from beginners through to global competitors. Rainbow Mountain, Skyline Rotorua Gravity Park, Moerangi Track, Western Okataina Walkway, the Timber Trail and Whirinaki Forest all offer further mountain biking options. The area is hard to beat in the two-wheeled field.

The natural phenomena the region is known for provide sensory experiences to remember – with the

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Western Heights Primary School. Image courtesy of Rotorua Canopy Tours

EOTC

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

Guided experiences allow visitors to experience poi dancing and to feel the fury and beauty of a traditional haka, enjoy a mouthwatering hāngī or stand witness to a traditional pōhiri. Waka can be boarded for a paddle around the shores of Lake Rotorua, while learning about the Māori of local Ohinemutu Village and beyond.

Three major rivers all provide plenty of opportunity for waterbased adventure, alongside Rotorua region’s incredible 18 lakes. From jet boating to

© stock.adobe.com

As a contrast to a sedate paddle, the high-octane opportunities in Rotorua are plentiful. There’s the universally popular luging down the mountain side, and cable car ride up, or for another way down, there’s zorbing or zip-lining. These activities can make memorable team building exercises for students, and staff. As can whitewater rafting. Rotorua is home to the world’s highest commercially raftable waterfall, on the Kaituna River. It’s not for the faint-hearted and flipping out – literally – is likely so save this for your strong swimmers and confident colleagues!

Heritage Farm complex. The farm and surrounding area provides an enchanting day out for primary school visitors. Its Heritage Farm Tours for a traditional animal farm experience, where visitors can pet and feed sheep, cattle, deer, llamas, alpaca and more. There is also a delightful café with a wonderful outlook for teachers’ and helpers’ quality coffee intake.

kayaking, paddleboarding to paragliding, kitesurfing and more, there are options for all ages and group sizes. Beyond the lakes and rivers are stunning waterfalls – generously heated by nature – that can be reached by boat, as can the nearby Mokoia Island. Appropriately named, ‘The Squeeze’ is a hidden geothermal valley, another destination for a boating adventure.

Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa has been

undergoing major upgrade work for seismic strengthening.

Significant structural challenges unearthed in the repairs have led to lengthy delays and it is expected the museum will not reopen until 2025. Despite this closure, there are other arts experiences to enjoy, such as the 3D Trick Art Gallery, which aims to enlighten and educate with its immersive art you can jump into and experience being a part of. This is set within the Rotorua

Waimangu Volcanic Valley is around 25 minutes’ drive from the central Rotorua and is where, at the base of Mount Tarawera, Lake Rotomahana is located.

There, the once considered ‘8th wonder of the world’ the Pink and White Terraces lie buried.

The long-lost natural treasure served as a popular tourism destination in the 1800s, until they were covered in the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera.

Visitors can take a boat cruise across the much-fabled lake and discover geothermal delights reserved only for water-goers.

However your students and team like to let off steam, geothermal Rotorua, and its adventure-rich region, doesn’t disappoint.

Group accommodation in the heart of Rotorua

Blue Lake TOP 10 have a wide variety of accommodation options available to suit every budget, from 180 powered and non-powered tent sites to standard and self-contained cabins.

The facilities at the park will keep your group entertained and active, with free Kayak hire available and a private or sole use marquee with attached kitchen and BBQ that can accommodate up to 80 people.

Okareka and Rotokakahi are all within 2km of the park, and a short 8km drive will find you in the centre of Rotorua.

Blue Lake TOP 10 offer large groups heavily discounted rates from February 1st – December 20th (excluding peak season only) and can work with you to accommodate any size group and any budget.

For more information please call 0800 808 292 or visit www.bluelaketop10.co.nz

The park is central to a variety of local attractions. Lakes Tarawera, Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

EOTC

39

A night (or day) at the museum

Images courtesy of Okains Bay Museum

By Heather Barker Vermeer Industry Reporter

Schools want to develop global citizens with critical thinking skills, effective communication, problem solving, subject immersion and a love of learning.

A trip to a museum should be high on the list, then.

With modern museums offering much more than a ticket in, teachers are no longer tasked with producing print-outs, name badges, and no longer need to transform into an expert on any given subject matter at the drop of a hat. Museums are a boon for learning experiences, and the museum trip itself is a joy for EOTC-weary teachers.

Whatever the theme, location, or history of a museum, experiencing learning in an information-rich, unfamiliar environment submerges students and staff in something new – together. It provides a perspective that cannot be taught from the familiar comfort of the classroom. Being in a stimulating new environment can fuel the imagination, trigger new ideas and sometimes break habits in thinking or behaviour.

By taking learning experiences out of the classroom and into the museum, you are able to allow your students to become immersed in the subject matter to enhance what they have learned, or will go on to learn, at school. Not only are your students able to better visualise and experience the learning topics, but they can also hear from experts to deepen their understanding and hear different perspectives. World

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views and general knowledge are also expanded along with subject knowledge.

Getting to know your students better and allowing them to get to know you can be one of the most valuable offshoots of such trips. As well as the travel there and back, being in a museum environment allows interaction to take place directly on the subject matter, as well as more broadly. Students see their teachers engaged in learning and the growth mindset is being modelled. Developing personal connections will create building blocks for future learning, creating better motivation for both student and teacher. Relationships among students and between students and staff are strengthened and new bonds formed.

Having experts on hand to guide your group will likely be a Godsend, and not just as a chance for passing on the paperwork for a change. Letting museum staff lead the learning will provide an opportunity for all to listen to a new knowledgeable voice and experience an alternative teaching style and fresh perspective in a fresh environment. You’ll all learn.

Your teaching practice will likely also benefit from needing to cater to individual students differently, in a different environment.

From the practical, hands-on learners that thrive outside the classroom to the academically confident kids welcoming the chance to shine, and the less extroverted ones being exposed to new challenges and opportunities for growth, each student can find their place at the museum.

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

Images courtesy of Waitangi Treaty Grounds

Presenting stimuli, often with attractive, tech-focused ways to encourage interaction is what museums do. Information will often be presented in ways that even the greatest of teachers will find hard to compete with for their learners’ attention and won’t want to try! It follows that students are likely to retain more information from an interactive, hi-tech exhibit, for example, than an in-class projector presentation. The informal learning environment of the museum also allows for impromptu learning moments

easier for school staff and the inevitable parent helpers.

and self-guided experimentation, perfect for those who prefer learning by doing.

And museums’ help extends way beyond the actual subject matter learning – they are wellversed in helping with the other considerations such as staff-tostudent ratios, catering, transport, and health and safety. They know what goes into planning a school visit to the museum and can take the headache out of it for you— they also know the curriculum well and can offer advice and suggestions for future planning around travelling exhibits and

Whether schools are looking for ways to better integrate arts, history, science, technology or sports, museums can provide a deep dive into a subject area like nothing else can.

Tailored education programmes for school groups are pedagogyinformed, and encourage inquiry and student-led learning in ways that tie into the curriculum, all the while making life

upcoming collections. You may find yourself resource-rich both pre- and post-trip, with museum-curated education programmes now consisting of tools and treasures that stretch beyond the basic photocopied worksheets of old and include digital resources, activities and access to online catalogues.

Museum staff are also excellent researchers, who can encourage students to develop their own research skills by exploring online collections as well as the physical exhibits.

Aotearoa NZ’s Histories Museum Tour Waitangi Treaty Grounds welcomes you on a journey of discovery through Aotearoa New Zealand’s most important historic site. The Aotearoa NZ’s Histories Te Kōngahu Museum Tour supports educators to build on their professional knowledge and deepen their understanding to implement the new curriculum content.

The tour covers aspects of the ‘Understand’ and ‘Know’ components of Tino rangatiratanga me te kāwanatanga.

Explore factors that led to the development of the two major agreements between iwi and Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

the British government – He Whakaputanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi | The Treaty of Waitangi.

Compare and contrast the differences in the two versions of Te Tiriti|The Treaty. Examine the history of contests over authority and control, at the heart of which are the authorities guaranteed by Te Tiriti o Waitangi | Treaty of Waitangi, and how these continue to impact our society today.

For more information or to book email education@waitangi.org.nz EOTC

Waitangi Treaty Grounds.

The on-site learning experiences at the Treaty Grounds can include visits to the two museums. Te Kōngahu Museum of Waitangi – presenting the events leading up to, during and after the signing of Te Tiriti. Te Rau Aroha Museum of the Price of Citizenship commemorating the commitment of Māori in the NZ Armed Forces.

www.waitangi.org.nz

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Local stories, curriculum-rich school trips Culture and heritage organisations and sites are well-placed to support local curriculum with their rich, stimulating environments.

Not only do these spaces support curiosity and wonder through the taonga and knowledge they care for, but they also hold local stories connecting with the community in which they are located. Ākonga have the opportunity to visit and experience these local sites and taonga, gaining reallife experiences that can have more power than just reading about the objects or place.

Particularly, now that Aotearoa New Zealand histories are entering the curriculum in 2023, cultural and heritage

Tara Fagan, Chair, Te Pū Tiaki Mana Taonga, Association of Educators Beyond the Classroom

Images courtesy of Te Pū Tiaki Mana Taonga, Association of Educators Beyond the Classroom

spaces are ideal for supporting kaiako and ākonga knowledge and integrating content across the curriculum. As the new curriculum content is introduced, many of us might need to strengthen our understanding of Aotearoa New Zealand histories to be able to teach effectively and

weave it through the regular classroom curriculum.

Museums, galleries, heritage sites, science centres and others are just some places that can help identify and make sense of local history through their collections and artefacts. Many of these places have a range of education programmes and educators available to work with kaiako to design a bespoke programme for the needs of each class. These programmes weave through subject learning areas and help foster critical thinking through perspectives, empathy, and exploration.

I am me

I am worthwhile Funding available Please ask us about funding for active recreation, well-being and leadership.

Each culture and heritage space will have something different to offer. Some might have site-based visits; others might have programmes that can travel to your school either physically or virtually, and some might have online resources.

Whatever the programme; educators from these spaces will share knowledge, the stories and taonga that exist, and work with ākonga to strengthen understandings, explore relationships and interpret experiences in their local community.

Kokako Lodge (Ak)

A time to refocus Help your students get back on track by a change of environment, EOTC and even team building to grow their support structures.

Kokako Lodge is only 30 minutes from South Auckland. We are surrounded by 17,000 hectares of tranquility, challenge (high ropes) and adventure.

Spoken Word, Reflection Journals, team building games and personal challenge (by choice).

For example, Ohaeawai School, a rural school located in Northland, took part in the Te Papa lead Raranga Matihiko programme, delivered from the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. Ākonga learned how the same event can be remembered

For more information please contact Kokako Lodge on 09 292 4349 or visit www.KokakoLodge.org.nz

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EOTC

differently by different people while they also developed their digital technology skills. At the Museum, students engaged with taonga and history while using digital technologies to retell the story of a battle that has local significance. The bespoke programme was co-designed by kaiako and the museum educators and enabled students to work across the curriculum.

Access to specialised knowledge of local histories, taonga and stories broadens learners’ experiences of their learning environment beyond school into the community and shapes the identity they carry forth.

On behalf of Te Pū Tiaki Mana, I invite you to visit these sites to learn more and reflect on the stories that these places hold while finding out how they can work with your school.

Te Pū Tiaki Mana Taonga | Association of Educators Beyond the Classroom is the professional Association of educators working in the cultural and heritage space in Aotearoa New Zealand. The Association aims to connect education professionals in museums, galleries, environmental and other groups in the community learning space and provide support, advice, professional learning, and dialogue across the sector. We are communitybased with a focus on local stories, history, and placedbased education to support the teaching of the unique history and cultural context of Aotearoa

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

Laser cutter & design software encouraging student inquiry Scott Symonds Design Hangarau Teacher at Ross Intermediate in Palmerston North talks about their new laser cutter and CNC and how they have worked with MakerspaceNZ We recently undertook a substantial overhaul of our Design and Technology curriculum, facilities, and equipment with an emphasis on pulling the subject into the 21st century.

We sorely lacked any sort of digital design and CAD/CAM gear, and with this as a priority we choose MakerspaceNZ based on their prompt response and excellent consultation.

MakerspaceNZ supplied and installed our laser cutter and CNC, and have provided substantial ongoing support in the form of training, maintenance and the

Our laser cutter has been very successfully integrated into our curricula. What it offers as a ‘tool’ is the ability for students to create complex products with a level of finish that would have been unavailable to them previously.

supply of consumables. They have a great knowledge of the machines they sell and customers they work with and have become key partners in our redevelopment.

Prior to redevelopment, our Art, Design and Technology facilities were solidly locked in the 1970’s, with vintage equipment leading to ‘vintage’ projects. Whilst students still enjoyed these lessons and learned valuable skills, we wanted to provide students with the means to design and realise

their own creations through an inquiry-based approach that more closely resembles a commercial product design process.

Our laser cutter has become central to much of what we do, allowing students to rapidly prototype technical designs using vector design software, as well as producing more decorative products and finishes using tablet and stylus.

We use the laser across Hard Materials, Soft Materials and Art.

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Staff love being able to quickly create resources to inspire students, as well as making doubles of excellent examples of student work.

Beyond its practical benefits, we have found that the machine along with the design software that we have available, promotes a unique level of engagement that encourages student inquiry and experimentation.

Feedback from students and the parents who visit our facilities has been so overwhelmingly positive that we are now looking to invest in another machine dedicated to Soft Materials and Art.

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0800 810 365 MAKERSPACE.CO.NZ LASER CUTTERS | CNC ROUTERS | CNC PLASMA | 3D PRINTERS | FUME EXTRACTION Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

TECHNOLOGY

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the traditional classroom

By Zoe Timbrell and Vivian Chandra, The Pam Fergusson Charitable Trust

It's mind-blowing to think that only 30 years ago, the internet was little more than an idea. Nowadays, there’s very little in our lives that digital technology isn't involved in.

This is particularly true in our schools and Kura, where over the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, they have risen to the challenge of remote teaching using various digital tools. As we return to the classroom, a new challenge faces the educators of Aotearoa; How we use our knowledge gained during lockdowns to engage in a hybrid model that takes the best of traditional and digital teaching to prepare our students for their futures in a digital-first world.

In successful hybrid learning, sources of knowledge are multiple, the flow of information and expertise is ceaseless, and the space and size of classes are boundless. Teachers and students experience a wide range of activities beyond classroom walls in ways that deepen and enhance learning.

Digital delivery is at the centre of learning and works seamlessly with in-person experiences.

Hybrid learning brings key opportunities and critical challenges we should consider when planning how we will teach in our schools and classes moving forward.

Personalised learning and learning flexibility One of the most significant benefits of hybrid learning is that it allows teachers to cater learning plans to the individual student. We can consider their ability and how they are progressing, then use this to adjust for hurdles or quick progress. It creates flexibility in the delivery; this can be as simple as using a

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OP-ED

Where digital technology meets

different kind of software that you know they are more familiar with or utilising project-based cross-curriculum learning.

Engaging and accessible lessons Evidence shows that when students learn digitally, they often seek to expand their knowledge simply because they enjoy the satisfaction of knowing more.

The interactive nature of digital learning stimulates a sense of curiosity and self-direction.

We also know that not every student is the most productive or available at the same time.

Lockdowns showed us how many students thrived when they got to set their learning schedules.

Hybrid delivery allows students to access learning materials at their own pace with a digital-first delivery. At its most extreme, it can eschew traditional timetabled classes altogether, allowing us to dream big and rethink what we use our in-person time to achieve.

Connecting educators, parents and whanau, and students In the past, whānau were lucky to have a parent-teacher interview twice a year. In the digital environment, it’s much easier

for a teacher to track and share a student’s progress, strengths, and weaknesses. It also allows students to feel a certain degree of autonomy and control as they can see how they are tracking and where they can work to improve their performance. It supports the creation of genuine learning partnerships that ensure ongoing engagement.

Digital equity COVID-19 highlighted the gaps in access to devices and the internet and the negative results this can have for students.

Without equitable access, we risk disengaging and excluding students and whānau.

Professional development Not all teachers are comfortable using technology in their classrooms, and some may have worked using traditional methods for a large part of their careers.

Access to meaningful and practical professional support is critical for a sustainable and successful shift in practice.

Authentic learning content Many online resources are created overseas and don't

TECHNOLOGY

connect with our classrooms' local curricula and authentic contexts. We need to ensure access to learning materials and supports that allow our learners to flourish in a culturally responsive and authentic digital learning environment.

We put an immense responsibility on our educators. We expect them to equip our children with all the necessary tools for the future. Today, we are at a technological turning point in history. We need to make sure today's students are prepared for the world that awaits them tomorrow. By empowering educators with hybrid learning models and a rich understanding of digital teaching and technologies, we will create tomorrow's innovators and inventors who can think critically, computationally, and creatively.

Zoe Timbrell - Kaiwhakaharae and Vivian Chandra, Professional Development Lead at The Pam Fergusson Charitable Trust. The Trust focuses on ensuring all young people in Aotearoa NZ have access to the tools and resources to engage in a digitally enabled world and is an accredited Ministry of Education PLD provider.

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

The University of Otago chooses Epson projector solutions

Epson projectors in use at the University of Otago in NZ

Images courtesy of Epson Australia Pty Ltd

The University of Otago, founded in 1869 is New Zealand’s oldest university and is ranked in the top 1% of universities in the world.

Since 1961 the university has expanded considerably and now has over 20,000 students enrolled studying programmes including Surveying, Medical Laboratory Science, Teacher Education, Applied Science, Biomedical Sciences and Performing Arts amongst many others. Recently the university had a requirement for cuttingedge projector solutions and for that they turned to Epson NZ. University of Otago Team Leader for ITSS AV Support, Ryan Göllner, explained, “I joined the University of Otago to lead the newly created AV Support group under ITSS Senior Manager, Emerson Pratt. This team was a combination of the AV

University of Otago Team Leader for ITSS AV Support, Ryan Göllner

Engineer and Lecture Theatre Technician teams. One of the early initiatives we collectively embraced as a team was the desire to improve the offerings of our larger theatres. When identifying our visual goals, we worked closely with UO Lead Engineers, Dave Bull and Glynn Babington, Graeme Durham from Epson NZ and Nathan Roche from Ten Four to create a plan.”

Being proud members of AETM, the university’s goal was to meet or exceed international standards in these spaces.

However, being a university, there was also a level of stewardship accompanying their decision which placed a high priority on value.

After a comprehensive assessment and evaluation process, the university chose Epson’s EB-L1755UNL, EBL1505UHNL and EB-L1495UNL projectors for the three theatres they upgraded.

Göllner continued, “During our research phase, we identified brightness, ease of colour balancing, and smooth integration into our existing control systems as key factors.

During this phase we worked carefully with Graeme to choose the Epson projectors that would give our endusers the most consistent experience throughout the product life cycle.”

The University of Otago now

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

TECHNOLOGY

uses their Epson projectors for standard teaching and learning, internal broadcasting and live events. Their larger lecture theatres use Crestron for control, custom coded in-house

by Lead Engineer, Rebecca Ottley and end users are able to operate the entire projection system from a single touch panel installed at a lectern.

Ryan Göllner is clearly very happy with the university’s new Epson projectors concluding, “Over the years, display technology has become more and more vital to education. Epson’s unique balance of value, quality, and service on offer makes it a reliable choice for our needs.

That said, the biggest benefits our Epson projectors provide us with come in the form of their balance between affordability and quality. I must also add that, while the projectors consistently rate high, the customer service at Epson NZ has always been excellent as well.”

For more information visit www.epson.co.nz

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Science laboratory solutions

By Heather Barker Vermeer Industry Reporter

A lab that inspires learning and supports a safe environment can turn students on to the wonders of science.

Design and furnishing solutions for a functional and efficient lab space not only benefit students but allow staff to flourish too.

As exciting as the hands-on experiments are, the need for notetaking, textbook reading, and diagram drawing must be factored alongside sufficient desk and bench space. Students and staff need room to move, adequate seating, as well as digital or other display tools for visibility. Visualising a diagram is as important as seeing a liquid turn to gas: careful design is required to ensure presentations are visible from a distance without compromising safety.

items that will be used regularly in practical lessons, so it is important to ensure that you have enough of each item to cover every student, including additional pieces to factor for any breakages that may occur.

These essential items include flasks, clamps, burners, forceps, gauze wire, teat pipettes, funnels, scissors, tripods, bench mats,

test tubes, beakers, stirring rods, thermometers, and litmus paper.

For biology, for example, it is essential that you are stocking up on items such as: scalpels, petri dishes, microscopes, microscope slides and tongs. Whereas for chemistry classes, you’ll need to factor in the periodic table poster,

chemicals, and components for use in experiments (e.g., magnesium strips), spill kits and hazardous material cabinets.

Chemical Storage Safety Schools typically stock a mix of Class 3 (flammable liquids) and Class 8 (corrosives – e.g., acids) chemicals for demonstrations.

Lab Equipment

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While due care and diligence should always be taken, particularly at the design stage, students’ learning should not feel restricted by an overzealous approach to health and safety.

There are general science TECHNOLOGY

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

Dangerous goods cabinets provide an effective solution for storage of these, as they deal with the main compliance issues from the relevant standards (e.g., bunding, shelf air movement, labelling, materials, and a degree of fire safety) all within one cabinet. Connecting these to an exhaust fan system is possible to reduce and eliminate smells or fumes in the room. Cabinets can be tailored to your space, usually in a dedicated science preparation/storage room.

There are several options when it comes to fume cupboards such as four-sided, doublesided, side windowed, ducted, and ductless. All built-in fume cupboards must comply with AS/NZS 2243.8:2014 under the building code and need to be tested annually for compliance on the building’s BWOF as a Specified System (SS11).

Mobile or recirculating fume cabinets have their own Standard AS/NZS 2243.9 (2009). These do not require annual inspection by a qualified person, but the standard does provide a template for annual testing/ inspection, nonetheless.

Flammables cabinets (Class 3) must comply with (part) AS 1940:2017 or EN 14470-1:2004 according to the Health & Safety at Work Regulations (2017) 11.29.

The European (EN) standard provides for fire safety ratings in the cabinet and allows for different labelling. Containers must store less than 20 litres each in these cabinets, and the total stored cannot exceed 250 litres.

Corrosives Cabinets (Class 8) must comply with (part) AS 3780:2008 “or a standard in a relevant safe work instrument” according to the Health & Safety at Work Regulations (2017) 13.37.

Storage volumes are limited to 1000 L or kg total (less for some subclasses), but schools typically store much less.

High quality, durable materials should be incorporated into a well-considered, smartly designed science space. And while the investment can appear daunting, providing a quality science environment that will stand the test of time, can ensure many years of fostering high achieving scientists, engineers, and technicians – and that’s just the staff!

Science Lab Supplier Insights Lab Support Services spokesperson Malcolm Bromley gave School News the rundown on health and safety compliance in school laboratories: “School laboratories often use recirculating (ductless) fume cabinets. They are convenient and versatile for demonstrations, but they do have limitations that must be recognised so they can be operated in a safe and responsible manner.

The applicable standard is AS/NZS2243.9 and the recommendations in this standard are there to ensure users and students are working in a safe and healthy environment.

“Each fume cabinet must have its own logbook. This should be used to record that dates and times that the cabinet is used as well as the chemicals and volumes used. It should show the filter change dates.

“A copy of the fume cabinet location and spacing requirements diagram from the standard must be kept with each fume cabinet to ensure

Side mounted services.

Maximises usable work area

compliance when the cabinet is moved. Each time the fume cabinet is moved to a new location, a commissioning test shall be carried out, including airflow tests and smoke tests.

This will ensure there are no issues with air movements that could disturb the fume cabinet's containment. A record of all commissioning tests shall be kept and accessible for inspections.

“If a recirculating fume cabinet does not have an automatic air flow alarm and filter saturation alarm, it must be tested for both airflow and filter performance every month. The standard also requires that any person who operates a recirculating fume cabinet is competent, has been instructed in its use and is fully aware of the limitations.

“There are many more aspects to the safe use of this equipment that schools should be aware of and the information above should only be considered as a starting point for a more comprehensive approach to the safe use and maintenance of recirculating fume cabinets.”

New Lab Support Compact SFC 21st century fume cupboard solutions for modern science teaching Clear side window allows mounting for wi-fi or web cam Lockable, isolated side pod. Easy access for maintenance

Bring science demonstrations to the class with our new generation fume cupboards. Project experiments on the main class room screen allowing complete visibility for all students. Improve all round safety compared to other options and reduce costs.

One fume cupboard can cover multiple class rooms

Can also be used for remote teaching options and recording experiments for later viewing.

Contact us now for all the options

malcolm@labsupport.co.nz

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

TECHNOLOGY

027 555 8494

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Feeding young minds

By Heather Barker Vermeer Industry Reporter

Whether your school has a canteen or simply a tuck shop, supplying food to students and staff comes with responsibilities.

Child obesity is still a problem: the New Zealand Health Survey 2020/21 found that around 1 in 8 children (aged 2–14 years) were classified as obese (12.7%), up from 9.5% in 2019/20. Prior to this, the rate of obesity among children had been relatively stable. Kids learn better eating habits when schools provide healthy foods, so it might be time to take a closer look at what is being offered by way of in-school food and drink. Online lunch ordering is another way schools are improving lunch options. Local and nationwide food providers have their own systems for ordering and delivery, with hot and cold, savoury, and sweet options aplenty.

Funding for the Ka Ora, Ka Ako | Healthy School Lunches Programme is currently promised to December 2023. Sean Teddy, Hautū (leader) Operations and Integration for the Ministry of Education said: “By the end of June 2022, around 954 schools and kura will be delivering a daily healthy lunch to approximately 220,000 students, and around 62 million lunches will have been delivered since the beginning of the programme in February 2020. He also told us that this year, the programme is: Working with the Ministry of Health to review the nutrition guidance for schools and suppliers

based on feedback received over the past two years.

2.

Evaluating the expanded programme. This second evaluation will track the progress of larger numbers of learners facing the greatest socio-economic barriers and assess the wider benefits of the programme, including to local economies. It will also seek to incorporate the voices of whānau, iwi, and the wider community.

Globally, healthy eating programmes aimed to schools abound as are initiatives aimed at driving obesity down.

The concept of ‘culinary literacy’ is emerging, as a push to develop student confidence and ability in making meals from scratch by experimenting with ingredients and becoming comfortable using staple kitchen

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1.

Image courtesy of Libelle Group

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items. It’s a lifeskills concept for the classroom that can crossover to the canteen and many other curriculum areas.

Supplier expertise for schools Libelle Group representative Zoe Tietze told us how schools can provide healthier food and drink choices for students.

“The best first step for a school to successfully provide healthy options is to develop and publicise a robust and evidence-based nutrition culture. Talk about ‘every day’ food and ‘sometimes’ food, using non-judgemental language rather than ‘junk’ food and negative language.

“Introducing an online lunch ordering business model is more sustainable than many in school models due to the size of NZ schools. It is particularly useful for primary students as the parent can make the meal choice themselves or with their child.

Preordering a healthy lunch may also reduce the chance of impulse purchasing; children can be influenced by mood, peer pressure, or by what is available.

It also encourages pre-planning while making the healthy choice the easy choice. Creating the ‘good’ environment to help students behave well.”

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Q: In your experience working with schools, what are some of the most and least effective ways to encourage healthy food choices among students?

A: “Most effective strategies include: student buy in, with support from community and school, which builds from having a strong nutrition culture), food education, food experiences, strong and effective nutrition and food learning within the curriculum, i.e., food financial sustainability, gardening and soil health, body biochemistry, behaviour change psychology, cooking and cultural food integration. Age-appropriate student-led groups are another effective strategy.

“Among the least effective, are non-age-appropriate nutrition rote learning and instances where the community and broader school personnel are not role modelling nutritious food choices. Connecting good behaviour with poor food, i.e., rewarding students with chocolate or lollies, also undermines effective strategies.

It is important to provide variety and engage students in the menu development process too; providing nutritious meals without any form of education or reasoning can have a negative impact if the students aren’t used to those types of foods.”

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

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Don’t let your floor safety slip

By Heather Barker Vermeer Industry Reporter

Slips and trips cause most of the injuries that result in staff taking a week or more off work in New Zealand.

Often preventable, falls on a same-level surface account for over 4,500 serious injuries a year and can result in broken bones, soft tissue damage, heavy bruising, and worse. Minor slips and trips can also cause knock-on injuries, where a person is more likely to fall down steps, for instance. Therefore, risk mitigation should be on the forefront of schools’ minds as we head into wetter seasons.

Image courtesy of GeckoTred

Always encourage widespread reporting of any unsafe sightings, as the safety of your school and its staff and students is everyone’s responsibility, not just the hi-vis wearing warden.

While you can never possibly anticipate the unsafe actions of everyone, there are not only certain physical environments to actively avoid, but behaviours to discourage too.

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Unmarked changes in flooring levels or steps

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Sub-standard or damaged flooring materials

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Unsecured mats or carpet

A health and safety audit can conduct an assessment and provide actionable steps.

Here are some of the high-risk (in)actions to beware of:

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Stray cables, and untidy areas with boxes, folders, or bags left on the floor

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Poor lighting, i.e., dark stairwells

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Overpopulated areas

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Inappropriate footwear, i.e., in pool areas

School kitchens, main entrances and external access classrooms are among the highest risk areas. Ensure role allocation and communication is key so everyone knows who is assigned to what task and who should be reported to on all health and safety matters.

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Leaving a wet spill unattended and unmarked

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Failing to provide sufficient effective matting to wipe wet feet on when stepping indoors

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Phone-use while walking, or travelling too fast

Having industrial carpet-like matting poolside is unlikely to

provide any form of accident prevention, for example, more likely cause more and become an unhealthy breeding ground for germs in that environment.

Whereas inside a classroom, this could be the ideal answer to keeping the floor slip-free. A slip resistance surface treatment or coarse adhesive would be a much better option for pools and outdoor areas and options are available to suit different existing surfaces. Ramps also can be a safer – and significantly more accessible – alternative to steps, but choice of flooring surface is key to avoid turning a trip step hazard into a slip and slide.

DON'T LET YOUR FLOOR SAFETY SLIP

We’ve got your flooring needs covered! Alsco’s managed rental floorcare service provides your school with an affordable source of high-quality mats keeping areas safer and cleaner for longer.

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HEALTH & SAFETY

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

Floor safety solutions: Industry insights

of a person’s footwear simply by walking across the mat.

To find out about how schools can overcome some of the biggest challenges they face with their floor safety, we spoke to a representative from specialist supplier GeckoTred, Lorenzo Hart.

“A high percentage of injuries caused from slipping and tripping within typical school buildings are at the bottom of stairs and entrances. The best way to minimise these hazards is to place low-profile dust mats in these areas, such as ramps. When rented, mats can be supplied, laundered, and swapped out onsite for easier maintenance.

Having worked with schools for several years, he said that “some of the main challenges schools face include slippery decking, ramps, and stairs”.

“I would recommend a PVC or foam-based backed mat, as a natural rubber backed mat has been known to leave a light mark/stain on a tile or vinyl/ wooden floor over a longer period, this is called plasticizer migration. More durable solutions are available for larger entrance ways too. Being able to identify a potential risk is

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“These areas can become a hot spot for tripping, slipping, and falling, but schools can help minimise this with slip resistant matting and anti-slip stair nosing. Entrance matting is also essential for schools as it helps trap dirt, grime, and water before and after entering any doorway.

important, we would recommend contacting someone in the industry to help with this process and curate product options to your school’s needs.”

Other ways to improve floor safety include “lining school halls with loose laid event carpet, aqua tube matting for walkways

around pools, and anti-slip matting for wooden decking”.

“A typical misconception,” Alsco spokesperson John Gibbs told us, “is that all mats require people to pause and wipe their feet”. “However, specialist mats are designed to absorb up to 80 percent of soiling from the soles

“Different types of mats work well for different areas. For instance, washroom and washup areas are always going to end up with water on the floor, so look for mats that are 100 percent rubber and self-draining for a safe, dry platform to stand on.

Elsewhere, entranceways can benefit from dust mats designed to absorb dust and loose particles but can also absorb a high volume of moisture from spills to keep children safe.

He added: “Purpose-made industry standard mat sizes will work well in almost any setting, on their own, or in combination with each other.”

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Increasing student participation and opportunities

By Heather Barker Vermeer Industry Reporter

Digital games provide dopamine hit with instant rewards, so perhaps increasing rewards can boost engagement in sports too?

Reward and recognition With young people so used to the dopamine hit that comes from activity on their devices, the issue of reward and recognition can prove more of a challenge. If, as some studies suggest, devices are steering kids away from sport, how can school sports look to emulate digital experiences?

Think bigger than participation trophies! In junior sports, major fast-food chains are known to jump in with burger and drinks vouchers incorporated into ‘Player

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of the day’ type certificates.

So why not think local and link up with food, service, or entertainment providers in your neighbourhood to collaborate with on rewards, prizes, and incentives?

It can be a win-win-win for school, students, and local businesses.

Choosing exceptional coaches can have a major impact on your school sport department’s credibility and help bring new players on board in different sporting areas, depending on sporting expertise.

Post-COVID participation hit Compliance with social distancing and strict return-to-play protocols has, perhaps, forever changed the way that children and young people engage in organised sport, according to a 2021 BMC Public Health research paper.

Researchers conceptualised the ‘4 Rs’ in their bid to increase understanding about the pandemic’s impact on youth sport:

was emotional struggle. The lost sporting season/year for many participants provoked a sense of disappointment and ‘mourning’.”

•

Recognising struggle

•

Reconnection

•

Re-engaging after restrictions

•

Reimagining sport

Reconnection was established and maintained throughout the lockdown period for many youth participants and coaches via online communications. “The opportunity to reconnect with coaches and teammates during the pandemic via social media platforms was perceived as vitally important in place of face-to-face interactions,” say researchers.

A broad geographical sample of youth athletes across a range of sports including soccer, netball, swimming, tennis, BMX bike racing, athletics and basketball were part of the project, as were sports administrators, coaches, executives, and teachers, with online and inperson interviews and focus groups used to collect data.

In recognising struggle, findings showed, “a shared experience brought on by the pandemic

SPORTS & RECREATION

Some athletes expressed ‘a hunger’ to re-engage in sport, stating that their passion for playing the sport they loved had been strengthened through its absence during lockdown.

“However, the struggle to maintain fitness and skill reported by other junior participants appears to have led to a decrease in confidence and self-efficacy.”

P54 Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

Sport NZ launches #itsmymove to encourage young women to get active – their way Kelston Girls’ College has made their move and encourages others to get in on the action.

for the students here, because it can open up all sorts of doors for them to do something, whatever that is. I want to keep trying to introduce new initiatives like working with Auckland Cricket or Girls Skate NZ, because they’re really engaging with what they do.

Kelston Girls’ College is making moves to ensure its young women are getting active – in ways that suit them.

Last term the West Auckland school introduced Physical Friday – where students have half an hour during Whānau time, every Friday morning, to move, their way.

Gear is set up on the field such as volley nets, an artificial cricket wicket, kilikiti bats, soccer balls and rugby balls and everyone can choose whatever it is that energises them to get active.

Director of Wellbeing, Jamie Lane, says there are zero rules, zero commitment, and zero pressure.

“Some girls just walk around the field. I don’t mind, it’s honestly non-committal, except for the movement part.”

Head Girl, Leighton Varea, says Physical Friday is a really positive initiative and the girls now look forward to it every week.

“It feels like a break, and a space for our girls to really just get out there and have fun.

“Being surrounded by good company and a healthy environment frees the brain and creates positive mindsets, and these positive feelings can also transfer into daily school life.”

Research shows that there is a steady decline in young women’s

Kelston Girls’ College Head Girl, Leighton Varea

participation in sport and active recreation, as they move through their teenage years.

By the age of 16, there is a 17% gap between male and female participation, and by 17, this increases to 28%.

The research also found that 90% of young women want to be active and 96% of young women understand why physical activity is important for them, but there are clear, contributing factors to the decline in participation.

These include body image, judgement, time pressures, motivation and loss of fun.

And that’s led to Sport NZ launching #itsmymove – an initiative aimed at encouraging and empowering young women to get active – their way.

Sport New Zealand Chief Executive, Raelene Castle, says the aim of the campaign is to create awareness around the reasons why many young women stop participating in structured sport and active

Students playing cricket during Physical Friday

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

recreation and to support them in finding activities they enjoy.

“We need to take the time to understand what young women want when it comes to participating in physical activity. We need to create environments in which they can thrive, and encourage, motivate and enable them to move in whatever way works for them.”

Lane says he’s keen to share what they’re doing at Kelston Girls’ College to encourage other schools and providers to get behind the campaign.

“I’ve got links through Sport NZ and Regional Sports Trusts and I want them to see what we’re doing. If you want to ask questions of what we’re doing and then see if it might suit your school, then feel free to ask.”

He says removing the barriers to physical activity was one of the reasons the #itsmymove campaign really resonated with him.

“I just don’t want to have barriers

“The campaign has also sparked me to maybe purchase 3 or 4 scooters because they can be taken out at lunch time or be used to do something different. Anything nontraditional to me is gold.”

Varea says those barriers such as body image issues, or feeling judged or pressured are sometimes not easy to overcome, but she wants to let other young women know you don’t need to face them alone.

“Come join in, find your comfortable space. This is why I love Physical Friday, it's a time given to us students to be comfortable and be ourselves with sport, and not only that, it's an opportunity to build connections and support each other.

“Life is all about taking those risks, experiencing new things.

One quote I like to keep in mind is, ‘you never know how good something can be until you try’.”

To learn more about Sport NZ’s initiative to better support young women in active recreation and sport visit www.itsmymove.org.nz

Jamie Lane interacting with students during Physical Friday

SPORTS & RECREATION

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support sport and recreation organisations across the region, $1.5 million for Recreation Aotearoa to support outdoor education providers experiencing reductions in revenue due to the cancellation of school-group activities and an additional $800,000 for Variety NZ to support tamariki and rangatahi in financial need through the existing Active Me – Kia Tū initiative.

P52 When re-imagining sport, the pandemic was seen as an opportunity for many – athletes, coaches and organisations – to refocus and re-evaluate their purpose, responsibility and involvement in sport.

Funding Provided by KiwiSport, the main

funding for school sport comes via two channels - direct funding from the Ministry of Education and complementary funding from Sport New Zealand via SPARC and regional sports trusts, who allocate funding from the KiwiSport Regional Partnership Fund. As part of Budget 2020, the Government announced a $264m Sport Recovery Package, which

aimed to do three things, ‘Help the sector recover and rebuild, assist it to strengthen and adapt, and to help it be different and better’.

In October 2021 the Government announced a $5.3 million package to assist sport and recreation organisations in the Auckland region who have been financially impacted by extended lockdowns, with $3 million to

Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa Fund operates in Auckland for projects engaging children and young people in sport and recreation, for example. It is administered

by Aktive, which also provides Water Skills for Life Funding for schools in the region.

Gaming trusts currently give grants of more than $300 million per year in Aotearoa, including for sporting and educational purposes. New Zealand Community Trust’s main funding aim is sport, for example, and others such as the Pelorus Trust, fund ‘for the provision of equipment or services that foster continuous learning and youth development’.

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SPORTS & RECREATION

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

Addressing imbalance According to Sport NZ, “COVID-19 has proved challenging for the play, active recreation and sport sector and heightened the existence of inequities for Māori within our system.”

This prompted the creation of a COVID-19 Kaupapa Māori Response Plan as part of its $264m recovery investment.

Addressing gender imbalance in youth sport participation featured in NZ sport’s 2021 young women’s participation insights report, which found: “By the time they are 17, 59% of young women say they are too busy to participate and 68% avoid taking part due to body confidence issues.”

A #itsmymove toolkit was subsequently launched to encourage greater numbers of young women to stay active in sport in response to these findings.

Equipment Sourcing sports equipment can be a time consuming and researching new equipment options takes time too. But to attract students to play,

If, as some studies suggest, devices are steering kids away from sport, how can school sports look to emulate digital experiences? it pays to have quality equipment to encourage this. There are companies that help you take the headache out of refreshing your PE shed. Many provide bundles for junior sports that include a range of balls, hoops, bibs, cones, sticks and ropes.

consider applications for school sport equipment funding to help.

Events and excursions

In secondary schools, the level of sport played dictates higher levels of equipment need, both in quality and quantity.

The prospect of regional or international sports trips can help propel participants towards a sport and the opportunities are arising once again for students and staff to start planning and enjoying special sporting excursions.

From tennis nets to track markings, basketball hoops to batons, wickets to whistles, buying the best will inspire pride and confidence in your players and teams. Many of NZ’s gaming trusts

Keeping it Kiwi may involve a sports trip to another region to engage in a tournament or a specially arranged series of games. There are travel tour companies that can take the

headaches out of this for you if it's likely to fall into the ‘too hard basket’. And it doesn’t have to be only your elite athletes who go; matches can be organised to be level-specific, and the tour can involve a range of activities linked to sport, but with a non-competitive purpose.

Creating a scenic focus for an active trip can encourage those usually less sporty students.

New Zealand’s many popular cycle tracks can provide the perfect setting for some stealth sports participation. With many attractive options in both North and South Islands, taking in a variety of terrains and levels of difficulty, schools can organise a DIY tour to suit their needs, or call in the experts.

Inclusion is key, and by inviting along those students usually less than keen to participate in sports to such tours, or involving them in fun-focused school sports events, you may well open them up opportunities and plant seeds that may well grow in the direction of participation, at school and for life.

Preparation and planning key for things to go smoothly In 2022, Sports Distributed have planned for another big year, giving you our loyal customers the greatest support imaginable we will continue to: Maintain our everyday low pricing on our vast range of over 2800 products.

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Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

SPORTS & RECREATION

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Upgrading natural sports turf surfaces Images courtesy of NZ Sports Turf Institute

construction and poor initial turf establishment even though that may have been many years ago.

If you have a sports turf surface that is substandard and needs to be upgraded, the first question you have to answer is what exactly makes your sports surface sub-standard?

A common problem is that the soil is compacted like a road; so, deep roots cannot develop, and water can’t drain through highly compacted soils. This inherent over compaction will remain indefinitely unless something is done about it.

Is it any of the following: •

•

•

•

Poor grass cover; lots of bare ground instead of a continuous dense turf sward.

Weed content; weeds dominate or, even worse, weeds like Onehunga weed (prickle weed) mean that sometimes the field cannot be used.

A rough and bumpy surface; rough enough to cause injuries.

Poor drainage whereby the field has to be closed for much of the winter period.

Often, these problems are interrelated; a lack of dense grass

Alex Glasgow, NZ Sports Turf Institute

cover will lead to weed invasion, or poor drainage leads to a loss of grass cover and a rough and bumpy surface.

Understanding the exact cause of the problem is a vital first step towards solving it.

The long-term legacy of poor construction and patchy turf establishment Quite often, sports turf surface problems stem from poor

If your turf cover is thin and full of weeds, it may be because either the wrong grass species was planted, or poor establishment occurred in the first instance.

But if the right grass is correctly established, it will be sustainable in the long term.

What is the most suitable grass species?

This depends on where you are…

If you are in the northern part of NZ, a strongly spreading, droughttolerant grass like Kikuyu or couch would be the best species to use on most school playing fields.

If you are located further south, using a mixture of grass species,

such as rye grass, browntop, and fescue would be required.

Having chosen the right grass, it is essential to establish a dense and complete turf cover as quickly as possible.

There are numerous ways to get it wrong, so it is important to get good advice.

Starting again may be the best option Quite often, the only real problem on poor quality school playing fields is a that the wrong grass has been used and it has been poorly established.

The consequences of this include weed, drainage and bumpy surface problems. You may be very pleasantly surprised by the sustainable improvement that can be achieved when the correct grass is established.

Alex Glasgow has many years’ experience as an Auckland-based sports turf advisor.

The right grass to use is one that can give a full turf cover as shown on the left of this image. Images courtesy of NZ Sports Turf Institute

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SPORTS & RECREATION

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

By Alex Glasgow, NZ Sports Turf Institute

cover on the entire playing field area and, which required the re-establishment of Kikuyu on the area. This could not simply be done through the traditional method of sowing seed in the autumn. Instead, establishing Kikuyu would require the field to be sown initially in a traditional species (rye grass) to establish a short to medium-term turf cover.

A large part of a combined primary/ intermediate school playing field in Auckland needs to be re-established because it has had temporary classrooms and construction carparking on it for a few years.

During that period, the school had less than half of the total playing field area available and so that area was subject to heavy use. That reduced playing field area coped with the heavy wear remarkably well because it has a Kikuyu turf sward – this is a drought tolerant grass that has good wear tolerance plus an ability to spread back into areas

Dense Kikuyu turf cover on intact sports field area – the aim is to establish the same on the area to be re-established in the background. Image courtesy of NZ Sports Turf Institute

if the cover is worn away. This school field wasn’t established in Kikuyu in the first instance but over the years Kikuyu gradually spread throughout the field to establish a full Kikuyu cover.

Unfortunately, the presence of the temporary classrooms and the construction carpark killed off much of the Kikuyu that was present in that area. The aim was to have a complete Kikuyu

Kikuyu will subsequently be established into the area via sprigging or plugging and its spread will be promoted so that a full Kikuyu sward replaces the rye grass within a couple of years. So, instead of the easy option of simply planting the traditional grass species, there is a plan in place to establish a better grass species that is more complicated to establish in the first instance.

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You should do quality assurance testing on new synthetic surfaces!

NZSTI provides a range of laboratory testing services for synthetic sports turf surfaces. We test synthetic fibres, carpets, shock pads and infill materials against international standards – including FIFA, World Rugby and FIH. Quality assurance testing will ensure that your new synthetic surface meets the specified standards thus ensuring quality and longevity.

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Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

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CASE STUDY

Establishing the best grass species can be tricky

On the surface of school sports Image courtesy of PlaytopNZ

By Heather Barker Vermeer Industry Reporter

Stellar sports grounds provide many benefits to schools.

A quality playing surface can bolster reputations by boosting the calibre of athletes you can attract, staff morale, student participation and community engagement, as well as visual appeal in photography and school branding. Reputation aside, there are health and safety benefits to properly maintaining and upgrading school sports surfaces and it can also diversify the types of activities that can be played on the ground.

Whether your current priority is a pristine cricket wicket, an international standard hockey turf, a state-of-the-art squash court or an all-weather athletics track, there is a tried and tested process to achieving the results you want for your school, to ensure you don’t slip up.

Options include, but are not limited to, all-weather artificial turf, synthetic multi-sports courts, sand-based fields with hybrid turf reinforcement, or hard-wearing acrylic court surfaces. A major trend in New Zealand recently has been synthetic multi-sport courts, which remove the weatherdependency of what can be wet, muddy winter sports fields and enable a variety of sports to be

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played year-round. Increasingly, these are brightly coloured and marked for many sports, with bold design in primary colours intended to act as a magnet to young minds.

Many primary and intermediate schools choose not only to add netball, basketball, hockey, and tennis markings, but incorporate additional features such as hopscotch, four square and tapu ae, sometimes known as tapuwai and tapuwae, or one of many other kī (ball) game variations for maximum benefit from their multi-use sports surface.

Your cost analysis will determine how bold you can be, and the following components should be considered: construction, maintenance, renewal, decommissioning, and cost per hour of use. It can be wise to go on site visits to sports fields in your area yourself, prior to engaging a consultant, and ask questions of those responsible not only the decision-making but the upkeep of facilities. Benefit from the learnings of others and ascertain what you personally, and as a school, believe to be good practice in this field.

Maintenance should be planned as part of the project and being pro-active in this can save money and time lost due to surface degradation.

When a new synthetic surface is installed, moss and algae are

not an issue. Over time, however, surfaces become affected by natural waste such as twigs, leaves and soil, and by litter and spillages. This can enable algae and moss to grow. Scheduled maintenance will keep your surface at the standard it should be aesthetically, and for optimum safety and playability.

Industry Insights Andy McDonald from PlaytopNZ advised that “wet poured rubber is a brilliant solution for new and existing concrete and asphalt courts”. Explaining what the process entails when resurfacing a school court with wet poured rubber, Andy said: “Older courts often become uneven, or trip hazards will have developed over time where there has been movement. An upgrade simply involves removing the raised areas and laying the new wet poured surface straight over it. Aesthetically, what we can achieve with wet poured rubber when it comes to sports markings and design takes these courts to the next level with line markings integrally installed. The lines being integrally installed means they won't wear off like paint will and look shabby over time, so maintenance is also very minimal.

“The seamless rubber offers impact absorption and is also anti-slip so offers great injury reduction during play and it does not seem to reduce or

SPORTS & RECREATION

increase ball bounce at all.”

Further, “Because the line markings are permanent, you only want markings that will be relevant for many years to come; think long term when selecting colours! Bright and exciting colours are fun but sometimes the slightly muted colours make for a calmer play space.

The more soothing, coolertoned colours are also often preferred by schools considering students with sensory disabilities and challenges.”

Telling us about a recent installation carried out at Rolleston School, Andy added that it was designed

by Braydon Narbey at Morgan Pollard Landscape Architects: “I think using a professional or someone with design skills in the initial planning phase definitely pays off, and most schools are restricted by budget so it's important to get a price indication before engaging a professional architect.” He explained this also helps the school find out whether what they want is achievable.

“Rolleston School also opted to collaborate on a sustainable blend containing used sports shoe materials. Now their court contains thousands of pairs of used sports shoes, which is pretty awesome and sets a fantastic example to the children in making more sustainable choices where you can.”

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

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CASE STUDY

Phil Lewis, Managing Director at Teamturf, explained that while sports-specific surfaces designed for one individual sport often “provide the best possible ball bounce/ball roll and underfoot traction, depending on the requirements of the sport, schools cannot always afford the financial outlay nor have the physical space”.

Instead: “Often, installations of new multi-use sports court include line-markings for several different sports as this increases the usability of the court and encourages more students to play sports.

Multi-use courts allow for basketball, netball, and tennis on a single court. However, the options are endless, and often include volleyball, four square, hopscotch, hockey, futsal and a recent move towards incorporating more traditional Maori games such as Tapu-ae or Ki o Rahi.

the different sports codes or just to create a contrasting court surround. It's also a great way to incorporate the school colours within the court.

“I have also seen a big move within the school industry towards brighter, contrasting colours used on their multi-use areas; this can be used to define

Phil advised us: “Old, uneven concrete and asphalt courts can be repaired with levelling compounds prior to overlaying with turf; and this is a cost-

Image courtesy of Teamturf

effective solution, providing a multi-use surface for many different sports. An old artificial turf can be removed and replaced with a new surface that should last 12-20 years depending on the size of the school and hours of usage.”

He also offered his top maintenance tips to consider:

“Good drainage is an important consideration: impermeable hard surfaces should have a minimum cross fall of one-percent, and schools should budget for a minimum annual maintenance cost of $500 (excluding GST) per 500m2 court. Regularly removing natural debris also helps to avoid algae growth.”

Stanhope School inspires students to participate Stanhope School’s former Principal Zane Wilson recognised a dual need to offer high quality, safe, engaging outdoor sports courts and play areas for Year 0-8 students, as well as to modernise and lift the overall look and aesthetic of the school.

The school was recommended a Teamturf multi-sport artificial turf to enable a wide range of sports to be played on the courts such as basketball, volleyball, netball, 4 square and hopscotch.

“For a truly versatile, multifunctional and proven artificial turf surface, you cannot go past Teamturf’s Probounce Coolplus product for intermediate and secondary school use,” says Keith Ratcliffe, Sales and Project Manager.

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Images courtesy of Teamturf

The school decided upon the court colours of blue and red to match the school's brand colours and incorporated a custommade school logo, inserted into the turf underneath the COLA all-weather structure. Signgrass numbers were also incorporated into the multi-use court beside the field for each class to go to in the case of a fire as part of their emergency procedures.

“As these are multi-coloured it added a playful aspect to the court while also providing an important safety function,” Keith added.

Stanhope School couldn't have been happier with the outcome, and now have several areas turfed throughout the school, from playgrounds and sports courts to colourful courtyards. The school is now future-proofed and has seen

SPORTS & RECREATION

a notable increase in student engagement in sports and active play. Where natural grass gets wet and sodden in the winter, often rendering it unusable, artificial turf provides an all-weather playable surface year-round.

As Keith said: “This must go a long way towards ensuring our younger generation are keeping fit and healthy, not only physically but mentally as well.”

Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

How hot compost can cool the planet

By Richard Wallis The CarbonCycle Company Limited

with conventional agriculture, absorbs, stores and cycles water for more resilient photosynthesis.

Nine year old Nico successfully persuaded Unilever to remove plastic scoops from its Surf washing powder thereby eliminating 15 tonnes of plastic from the system.

Scientists are now beginning to realise that these contrasting land uses have significant implications for global warming: vegetation that grows in a way that generates porous soil carbon structure and absorbs water has the capacity for cooling transpiration and in turn generates precipitation, whereas compacted or bare soil will have a heating drying effect and the difference is all down to compost and soil biology.

He now seeks the help of the Minister of Education to put compost bins in every school so that students can recycle nutrients into the soil, grow healthier vegetables, harvest, cook and share fresh kai, and learn about the importance of compost.

It's an idea that's worth thinking about, particularly as it is becoming increasingly apparent that the world is in a persistent cycle of drought, floods, deforestation, soil erosion, land degradation, heat waves, heat domes,soaring temperatures, disruption of precipitation patterns, extreme weather events, forest fires, crop failures, and alarming food shortages.

If that’s right, it leads to the conclusion that the temperature regulating function of trees and forests, or any respiring vegetative cover for that matter, is their primary benefit with carbon storage being a secondary consideration, a co-benefit.

This is a modification of the current carbon-centric model.

Image courtesy of CarbonCycle Company Limited

New Zealand is not exempt from this crisis. The cost of fruit and vegetables, essential for a healthy diet, has increased year on year by 17% for the last three years and shows no sign of abating.

From a purely pragmatic point of view it makes some sense that we teach children in schools across the board the "hands on" skills of gathering organic residues available in every community (otherwise referred to as food and green "waste") to make high quality compost with which to grow significant volumes of fruit and vegetables for local consumption.

Food is becoming unaffordable.

It is driving communities into hunger and poverty.

Food produced by means of conventional agriculture using synthetic fertilisers and biocides

accounts for somewhere between 25-35% of anthropogenic GHG emissions. It is reputed to diminish soil biology and destroy porous soil carbon structure resulting in compaction which is the chief cause of the land degradation crisis referred to above.

Students at schools that have composting facilities will become familiar with composting and growing food/trees and will know what's involved in building porous soil carbon structure to generate transpiring cooling landscapes and will be able to measure for themselves the temperature effect.

Urban food growing using compost and soil biology for fertility progressively draws down CO2 and builds porous soil carbon structure which, unlike the compacted surfaces associated

These are the issues young people have inherited and will have to grapple with. Nico’s proposal will equip them to make informed decisions about how to shape good outcomes.

Experience the joy of making compost, building life in the soil and growing fresh food With Carboncycle compost boxes you can make healthy compost for a thriving ecosystem.

The CarbonCycle Company

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Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

SPORTS & RECREATION

Compost

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By Heather Barker Vermeer Industry Reporter

How responsible is your school when it comes to waste and recycling?

Separating waste is the first practical step in managing your school’s rubbish. This is obviously made much easier if the varieties of waste are separated from the moment of disposal. Having a colourful collection of clearly labelled bins is a must, with rubbish receptacles for glass, paper, plastic, cans and organic waste or food waste provided to cater for the size of your school. Placing these in strategic locations of high food use and at main entrances will provide a strong start in making life easier for all involved in your school’s reduce-reuse-recycle mission.

Food waste is a relative newcomer to the green table, compared with cans and paper, and can offer many learning opportunities in theory and practice, especially for younger students. Installing a worm farm is a fun path embraced by many schools for multiple learning, with the practical benefits of being

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Boards have a responsibility to ensure schools eliminate their waste with as little negative impact on the environment as possible.

able to dispose of food waste as well as feed your school’s garden with homegrown nutrients after the worms have done their thing.

You can also save on the costs of fertilisers and remove chemicals from your gardens as a result.

Or, increasingly popular in the mission to minimise waste are other creatures - hens. You could consider introducing a flock to your school to feed on the organic waste and pay

you back with fresh eggs!

The compost bin market has ballooned in recent years and there are options for sizes, shapes, colours, and materials to match your space. Running sessions on how to use them could not only prove popular with pupils but with parents too.

Schools can also approach specialist providers for educational resources and marketing materials to promote

PROPERTY

recycling awareness around your school. For example, posters to remind students which bin is for which materials can go a long way towards streamlining your school’s waste management.

How to carry out a waste audit is also something your local council can likely advise on, or there are many organisations out there offering to lead the way, for ease and expertise at your fingertips.

P64 Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

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Rubbish responsibility

RecycleKiwi Ambassador Sam O’Dea with students from Ao Tawhiti Unlimited Discovery in Christchurch.

Matapihi School students with the bilingual RecycleKiwi stickers.

RecycleKiwi reaches far and wide From Kaitaia to Invercargill, and even Great Barrier Island, schools throughout New Zealand are stepping up their recycling efforts with help from RecycleKiwi.

The public education programme to help improve waste management was launched almost three years ago at the New Zealand Principals’ Federation conference by commercial cleaning company CrestClean.

Since then, 3500 resource packs, including more than 70,000

RecycleKiwi waste separation bin stickers, have been distributed throughout New Zealand.

waste management systems,” says CrestClean Managing Director Grant McLauchlan.

Resource packs are free and include posters, colouringin pages and bin stickers for each of the five types of waste, recycling, glass, rubbish, paper and food scraps. The stickers and posters are bilingual, being in both English and te reo Māori.

As leaders in sustainable cleaning, with 5000 customers nationwide, including more than 500 primary, intermediate and secondary schools, CrestClean is perfectly placed to make a real difference in the nation’s recycling habits, says Grant.

The aim is that by clearly labelling bins, more items are likely to be recycled correctly, resulting in less waste going to landfill. “It’s really encouraging to see so many schools and businesses taking advantage of these free resources to streamline their

“Our drive to improve recycling efforts in New Zealand is part of our ongoing commitment to improve our environmental and corporate responsibility. Education is key to changing behaviours around waste minimisation.

We see ourselves as having an

Refuse

Reduce

important role to play in helping schools improve their recycling efforts and it’s fantastic to see so many of them embracing the RecycleKiwi initiative.”

CrestClean’s cleaning services are accredited by New Zealand’s official eco-labelling programme, Environmental Choice, which independently audits products and services to verify they meet stringent environmental standards.

It is one of only two commercial cleaning companies to have this accreditation and the only one to provide a nationwide service.

Schools can order FREE RecycleKiwi resource packs at: www.recyclekiwi.co.nz

Reuse

Recycle

RecycleKiwi® is here to help schools with their waste minimisation and recycling efforts with an educational website, videos and free recycling resource packs to help schools set up their own waste separation stations.

Learn more and order resources at recyclekiwi.co.nz Proudly brought to you by

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The possibilities of recycling waste vary from region to region. What can be recyclebinned in Blenheim may have to be resigned to the rubbish dump in Dunedin, so check your council’s latest recycling policy to be able to educate, as well as act, on the most recent advice. Some local councils help schools to set up their recycling programmes and can also educate staff and students.

Regions each have their own resources, such as the Resource Wise Schools programme available in the Tauranga area.

An introductory workshop is followed by with a suite of support including annual waste audits by a Resource Wise Schools Advisor to determine what is being sent to, and diverting from, landfill.

Written reports on school waste audit findings and a subsequent action plan can be shared with the school community to encourage buy-in and maximise impact at minimising waste.

Many free programmes such as Resource Wise Schools are designed to complement other environmental initiatives such as Enviroschools and Keep New Zealand Beautiful.

importance of the zero-waste concept is ‘the circular economy’.

Illustrating the traditional Western industrial-era linear path highlights how wasteful these old systems are: design – obtaining raw materials – manufacture – consumption – disposal. As the diagram, illustrates, a circular economy can help eliminate waste. Raising awareness of the difference in these two processes, especially visually with a simple diagram can create immediate understanding, engrain this message into young minds and change habits for life.

Waste specialists in the school sector stress the importance of creating a simple school waste management programme, with suggestions on what this should contain. A key point is to ensure separation of waste materials at source. This sets the ball in motion with much more ease than adding a layer of sorting and separating of waste. Educate students on what qualifies as contaminated recycling as it requires effort to

decontaminate, so those items are likely to be abandoned in terms of recycling, seeing your waste destined for landfill.

Don’t hide your recycling away!

Experts suggest visibility is key. By bringing recycling bins to the forefront of your school or classroom environment, with colour coding and attractive signage, you are actively encouraging use, and promoting and celebrating your recycling programme. What once was rubbish can become a commodity when you embark on effective waste management, and this is good for your reputation as well as the planet.

Standardised New Zealand Recycling Symbols (RONZ) came into use in 2016 to provide clarity and consistency in messaging.

Teaching your students this colour-coded system is essential.

How a school handles its e-waste is a key component in its waste management strategy. Broadly speaking, anything with a circuit board is considered e-waste

in New Zealand. Disposing of redundant computers is one of the main e-waste considerations for schools and there are companies and charitable organisations that can take these off your hands, with most offering a collection service.

While recycling can be seen as the ambulance at the bottom of a cliff, ensuring children learn the ‘Four Rs’ of waste prevention refuse – reduce – reuse – recycle shows recycling is the last resort and can help prevent waste from getting there.

Time your responsible waste initiative to lineup with Recycling Week Launched in New Zealand in 2013, Recycling Week takes place this year in the week beginning October 17. It’s the perfect opportunity to promote your responsible waste strategies across your community, so leverage this promotional deadline with your school Board to kick-start progress.

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A popular way to explain the

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One key target area for NZ schools is waste reduction.

Many schools now encourage students to bring less packaging into school, with an onus on reducing the amount of nonrecyclable wrapping that makes it through the gates. Reward schemes can be effective in keeping real rubbish out.

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Three generations built

by Kiwis for Kiwis Our story begins in the small rural town of Feilding in the Manawatu.

the tight-knit engineering crew and are a living testament to the products that we supply.

Originally McKee Engineering in the late 70s and the first brainchild of William Douglas McKee aka ‘Doug’ we had a very diversified range of engineering products from furniture, strawberry washers, onion baggers and potato pickers to stock crates, milk cartons and all sorts of industrial equipment.

Each and every product is designed, critiqued, produced and tested in house to ensure that quality is the final outcome before we head to market and can confidently say along with the loyal following that we have established that’s why we are here today.

After a trip to the USA and seeing the new “it” way of manufacturing in Rotational Moulding Doug saw an opportunity to merge the two things together to expand business by taking design and production to the next chapter towards McKee Plastics.

The result of this trip and the work we were already doing in this space eventually led into building our own rotational moulding ovens and opened our doors to a

William Douglas (Doug) McKee with Tanya and Logan McKee

vast range of industries to supply roto-moulded plastic products.

In 1984 McKee Plastics was born, the strong manufacturing foundation is the same, however since then we have broken into different sectors, agricultural, public/civil, recreational and transport.

When we began moulding, we started with the iconic litter bins that to this day, spans the length of New Zealand in different

schools and councils and have since then moved into farming, forestry, roading, transport, and even water sports, our purpose for all products is that we make strong reliable equipment that is not only functional and user friendly but stands the test of time.

The team that we have built over the last 50 years of which a majority of those are still around to this day boast over 150 years of engineering experience between

We are a family business that has now bridged 3 Generations, grown a small garage repair shop to a thriving workshop and manufacturing plant. Over the last 50+ years we have helped thousands of New Zealanders and others further abroad with everyday problems by providing simple but reliable solutions many of which are still circulation being used to this day, we support New Zealand Manufactures and Small Businesses across New Zealand.

$288.50+gst POST OR WALL MOUNT INCLUDED ALSO DYNA BOLT OR INGROUND POSTS ARE AVAILABLE Available in a range of colors:

130L & 230L Wheelie Bins also available

McKee – Plastic Moulding Specialists 23 Mahinui Street, Feilding PH: 0800 625 826 sales@mckeeplastics.co.nz www.mckeeplastics.co.nz

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All-weather shade solutions create year-round spaces

By Heather Barker Vermeer, Industry Reporter

Melanoma cases are projected to skyrocket by 50 percent over the next 18 years, according to a 2022 study by JAMA Dermatology. This is dangerous news for Aotearoa New Zealand, which the study singled out as having the highest mortality rate for melanoma in the world.

For children, shade protection at school is a critical tool for skin cancer prevention.

For schools then, particularly following the long hot summer Aotearoa just experienced, the UV risks of outdoor play and learning should be on the forefront of decision-making right now.

Even on overcast days, the dangers of exposure to harmful UV rays are well-documented. In addition, sun hours take their toll not only on the skin, but on focus, stamina, and longer-term wellbeing; for instance, students can become lethargic and restless in the heat, and glare can also impair vision for students and teachers returning to the classroom after play or lunch time.

Learning outside? Need to consider structural shade solutions The benefits to effective outdoor learning spaces are many, but weather dependent.

Hats and sunscreen are already a non-negotiable and while beefing up your school hat policy helps address part of the problem, a more robust option is providing more durable shade across your site. Most significantly, shade protection is not just to keep the sun out, but also enables teachers and students to engage in learning outside during wet weather, bringing benefits throughout the year.

Additional benefits to outdoor learning became starkly evident during the pandemic,

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Image courtesy of Sunshade

when outdoor learning spaces were one way for schools to minimise viral spread, or at least ease COVID anxiety.

Shade structure options for your school School News surveyed key options by talking to key shade suppliers to schools around the country. They identified two central options proving popular with educators at the moment: Covered Outdoor Learning Areas (COLAs), and outdoor shade sails.

Talking to us more in-depth later on, representatives from Sunshade and Archgola respectively outlined some of their tips and key considerations for schools aiming to invest in on-site shade structures.

Shade sails are a popular, highly customisable option as they can come in a variety of colours and

designs; fabric is significant and must offer high UV protection; shade sails suppliers we spoke to recommended independently rated textiles with at least 50 UPF and a UVR block of no less than 90 percent and confirmed that the fabrics must also be strength tested, fire tested, and certified by structural engineers.

Shade and screen specialists also offer maintenance scheduling to ensure the structures remain compliant and last longer.

COLAs are a more permanent option and are classically made from steel, although they can be designed, manufactured, and installed using a wide range of materials to suit different needs, spaces and budgets.

And they can be beneficial for not only the big, obvious purposes, such as covering a school playground area, but for

Image courtesy of Sunshade

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high foot traffic areas between buildings or classrooms, to create permanently sun-protected pathways across your school site.

One of the challenges in designing COLAs in New Zealand schools is that the space created needs to remain warm year-round— particularly if it is to be used for outdoor learning. Hardy, all-weather materials such as heavy polycarbonate sheeting can provide a permanent COLA or to create temporary outdoor covered space.

Mark Hannan, Hawke’s Bay Licensee for Sunshade told us about some of the best and worst shade structures he has seen in schools: “Aside from inadequately durable fabrics, probably the worst thing I see in schools is loose shade sails. These can be an accident waiting to happen or at least degrade shades more quickly; another problem arises where the shade sails have not been fixed correctly and could cause damage to property in an extreme weather event. If it’s not attached to something seriously strong, or it is sagging or visibly damaged in places, it’s time for a repair or refit.

“Awesome shade sail fit out requests lately have been for playground space designs without centre poles, allowing for uninterrupted play in the space underneath. Others use rectangles to cast strong blocks of shade Term 2, 2022 | schoolnews.co.nz

Image courtesy of Archgola

when the sun is at its highest, which also ends up looking really cool. It really depends on the space and the needs of the school, so custom designs are a strong trend.

“Shades can be an opportunity to bring the school colours to life too; primary schools tend to choose some fun colours. In areas where graffiti or damage might be a concern, some schools are also opting for more forgiving colours like black and charcoal, and pole pads continue to be a standard requirement for knock prevention too.”

Archgola representative Katrina Evans spoke to us about COLA installation and design as she advised they are fast becoming a must for school environments to increase the usability of spaces.

“The strength of steel framing is that it allows for a wider span between posts, creating fewer obstacles, with the addition benefit of being a sustainable material. Roofing materials need to provide UV protection and be trafficable to meet Ministry of Education requirements. A good option is Webglas GC roofing, which can be either ice clear or opal, and transmit warmth and natural light. It is strong, highly

resistant to chemicals and has low-surface erosion. The top (weather side) is gel coated with a specially formulated high UV resistant resin and provides virtually undiminished performance for 20 years.

“COLAs are a significant investment, so it’s important to partner with a certified company that has experience in the school sector to ensure the finished structure meets the school’s needs, withstands New Zealand’s weather conditions, and provides proven UV protection for the children. The right design ensures you get great use out of the space, so key things to consider include location (is it warm, sheltered, low light or windy?), opportunities for indoor/outdoor flow, and options like outdoor blinds and side walls.

To get started, chat to other schools and sports clubs about the shelter options they have chosen, then arrange for a consultation to discuss your ideas and options.

SMART WEATHER PROTECTION FOR INNOVATIVE PLAY

“Most schools prefer to have canopies installed in the school holidays, so make sure you allow plenty of time to complete planning and approval process to achieve this.”

Make a lasting choice to benefit your school with Sunshade.

Choose a strong shade, screen or sail solution that everyone can be proud of.

Expert ideas Easy process Exceptional UV & safety ratings Set & forget maintenance

TALK TO US ABOUT YOUR NEXT PROJECT! CALL 0800 786 742 (0800 SUNSHADE) Visit sunshade.co.nz/education - Available across the North Island Image courtesy of Archgola

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