Rāmere, te 29 o Haratua, 2020
What’s coming up in May for Kia Takatū ā-Matihiko?
Kia Takatū ā-Matihiko – the National Digital Readiness programme has been developed to ensure teachers and kaiako are ready to implement the new digital technologies content. The programme is inspired by the legend of Māui, his kuia Mahuika, and how the source of fire was discovered. Māui was curious, brave, determined and had a great desire for things to work a bit better #belikeMāui
Digital Curriculum workshops are now online, see this link for all the details.
Tuhituhi/ Writing
Expanded success criteria revisited
Last year we shared an article from James Durran on ‘expanding success criteria’ or ‘boxed criteria’ for primary school writing. James has shared his recent work developing an alternative to his original idea. His research has found when approaching a piece of writing, students are often given ‘success criteria’ in the form of a list of features which the writing ‘requires’ in order to be successful, rather like a list of ingredients. Together, these interrelated factors can work against pupils’ development as real writers, writing for real purposes and real audiences and lose the authenticity of the writing task for students. So traditional ‘success criteria’ are really the wrong way round. They define ‘success’ in terms of the presence of ingredients, not in terms of the actual point of the writing. His new version of the boxed criteria keep the ingredients, but link them explicitly to purpose and to the reader.
- Purpose of the writing
- Effects on the reader
- Success Criteria
- Vocabulary
Follow the link here to link to James’s blog for further information.
Writing Moderation
Our Term 2 across schools moderation meeting has been scheduled for Thursday 18th June, Orewa College, 3: 30 pm. Writing samples for moderation have been shared to our writing focus group and can also be forwarded to interested teachers / teams within schools for moderation. Marked forms need to be submitted by Monday 15th June. Please contact sblackburn@wainui.school.nz if you have any queries or require further information.
Digital Resources for Reading
Links to sites here
Do you have an ‘advice monster’? If so, watch this
You know your Advice Monster! Someone starts to talk … and it looms up out of the shadows wanting to “add value”. In this funny and provocative talk, Bungay Stanier explains how advice-giving goes bad; the three personas of your Advice Monster; and why the powerful act of staying curious a little longer is the secret to taming your Advice Monster. Michael Bungay Stanier’s most recent book is The Advice Trap, a follow-up to 2016’s Coaching Habit which has become the best-selling on coaching of the century with more than ¾ million copies sold. He is the Founder of Box of Crayons, a learning and development company that helps organizations transform from advice-driven to curiosity-led. He is Australian, was a Rhodes Scholar, and lives in Toronto
Ako Orewa
Ako Orewa was introduced over the past few years to encourage the vision for students to be:
- Motivated
- Confident
- Independent
- Well balanced
- Proud
- Responsible
This initiative requires a shift in mindset and approach and would mean that the five-year strategic plan would be appropriate and achievable. In order for students to start shifting their mindset, in 2020 we introduced AKO classes in which the students were involved in activities to encourage teamwork, self and peer reviews, thinking skills and communication skills. They also had time to think, review and reflect on their own and their peers’ work, and to consider what their next steps were.
During lock down students joined meetings with their AKO teachers and had various activities to work on. Among these were a timelapse diary of a typical day in isolation, topic work and a review of lock down with their families.
This is an example of a slide from a year 10 students diary in isolation:
There is a demand from industry that requires young people to be able to adapt and problem-solve. Expectations that one can decide, plan and organise new learning and develop new knowledge are growing each year. School classrooms must provide regular experience and practice in fundamental skills such as decision making, teamwork, problem-finding /solving and communication, self-management and self-regulated learning.
Recovering Well from Covid-19 Pandemic
Although we are all in the same storm, we are not in the same boat
Our Kāhui Ako have begun engagement in the above secondment. It is a Ministry response to the past and current situation of Covid-19, and how we move forward with wellbeing at the centre. It has varying levels of information, support, strategies and resource links appropriate to age groups. The following visuals are key to assisting our staff and students move forward with wellbeing.
There are so many variables which could be going on under the surface, or behind closed doors which we don’t know about. Factors such as a family member losing their job, being at a higher health risk, knowing someone who has been diagnosed with Covid, fear or anxiety, a turbulent or stressed household, coming back to work/school, social media information and misinformation, understanding rules and levels, can be stressful or overwhelming. Even being cautious can be tiring.
Our Window of Tolerance is narrowed in such times. Adults and children are more likely to shut down or blow up if circumstances step beyond our narrowed window of tolerance. 
- Normally this would be quite a wide window, but if you’re outside your ability to cope and self regulation is affected – our windows are shrinking – hyper aroused (aggressive behaviours) or hypo aroused (the quiet ones who sit in the corner) – both are just as concerning and we need to support both groups.
- We need to have our eyes and ears open and link with those who are around us who can support us.
- Kat, Susan and Leanne will relay more information and strategies after the next Zoom workshop with the psychologists.
Kāhui Ako Orewa Māori Lessons Updated
For those of you who used our Māori lessons in term 1 before the lockdown, we have updated the overview to allow for the date changes. For those of you who haven’t used or seen these lessons, please take a look. The overview below provides easy to follow weekly lessons on a slideshow detailed teacher notes. These can be delivered by any kaiako no matter how confident you are at speaking te reo Māori.
Matariki 2020 is Approaching
At the end of this term, Matariki will be celebrated across Aotearoa. It may not look quite the same as last year but leaders across our Kāhui are looking for ideas to share across schools. If you have any great ideas that can be shared with others, please send them through one of our in-school leaders or email markralston@silverdaleprimary.school.nz
Reminder to all in-school leaders
Our next meeting will be face-to-face, at Orewa College. We look forward to seeing you on 4 June at 3.30.
Kāhui Ako ki Orewa 
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