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MULTI AWARD WINNING NEWSPAPER
Vol 44, No 15
General 271 8000 î Ž Classified 271 8055 î Ž Delivery Enquiries 271 8014 î Ž Website www.times.co.nz
BIG-HITTING CRICKET STAR’S DAY AT SCHOOL English international and Twenty20 nomad Luke Wright gave helpful tips to players at Bucklands Beach Primary last week. Page 19
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STAGE CAREER WITHIN SIGHT
Chelsea Sloan is the youngest student accepted into this year’s The Actors’ Program. Page 5
The dynamics of change By Farida Master
F
OR the first time in years, there’s been an increase in the school role of Howick Intermediate. Yolande Franke has been an extraordinary catalyst of change since she took over as principal on October 13 last year. Changing the school uniforms was one of the easier tasks she took on in the first few weeks of her appointment as principal. Opening up the communication channels was the next step. When the school’s old website burnt and crashed, she introduced a user-friendly website. While Ms Franke was expected to turn the school around, she knew the change had to be a sustainable one. It had to be accompanied by proper infrastructure and systems in place. Even as she set about creating a modern learning environment, coupled with new leadership roles, she’s been sensitive to the staff’s beliefs and value system. “Change can be threatening to people as it questions their core beliefs that they’ve held for so long. It’s important to share the strategic vision and get everyone excited about it,� she says. Apart from getting the community on board and asking them about the expectations of the school, Ms Franke had a one-on-one with every staff member and teacher to first understand their hopes and aspirations, and where they were coming from. “Relationships are very important and we need to build on them. “While there are a lot of fresh ideas we can introduce, everyone including the staff, teachers, parents and the community need to understand the end goals and stay connected to it.� From a school that had no access to WiFi to 135 students bringing their devices to school, the learning trajectory has changed. Sitting in a temporary make-shift office which was formerly a dance studio, Ms Franke says the school is
INSIDE
CHANGING ENVIRONMENT: Fostering change at Howick Intermediate is principal Yolande Franke with year 7 students, from left, Keagan Maclou, Emilija Janevska, Kirsten Samuels and Hunter Daniels who are a part of the modern learning environment now introduced at school. Times photo Wayne Martin
in the midst of major renovations. “Twenty classrooms are not fit for occupation and will be taken off site. Some other buildings are going to be upgraded,� she says. The Ministry of Education is backing her vision all the way. “There’s been a lot of strategy aligning and showing people what direction we are heading for. What excites me is building leadership
capacity. It’s gratifying to see a lot of initiative conversations now coming from our new leaders. “There is an amazing synergy as we have the right people in the right place, taking ownership for it.� To carve a new identity of a high performing school, Ms Franke has been systematically developing links with educational networks and introducing a new work culture.
First theatre production ���������������������������������������� page 2 Car accident victim mourned ������������������������������� page 3
She’s partnering with colleges to create science learning pathways. Howick Intermediate has also joined hands with other schools to participate in music festivals. Another fresh initiative involves students and teachers learning the Mandarin language. “The opportunities that Asia holds in terms of career pathways are huge. Our children will conduct business
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with Asia and we need to equip them to understand their customs, protocol and language.� While the response to change has been overwhelming, the cycle of improvement will be ongoing, she says. “A growth mindset involves critical reflection. It’s being mindful of changing practices to ensure our students are successful.�
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