Kia ora koutou, and a very warm welcome back to you all!
2023 what a start !!! 2 storms and more interruptions to the beginning of the school year. I sincerely hope if you or your family have been affected by any flooding that you are feeling ok and coping. For most of us in this region, despite having power cuts and loss of connection with the world, I know I feel grateful; and thankful for a dry undamaged home and school. Our thoughts are with everyone in Hawkes bay, Gisborne, Northland and West Auckland that suffered such extreme loss and damage.
Wainui School did suffer from flooding on the road and from the steam that runs through our grounds. The Bee hives floated out the gate and down the road amazingly the bees all survived !!!
This year we welcome Rhonda Beet our new Across School Leader for 21st Century Learning. Rhonda brings lots of enthusiasm, positivity and a desire to get focussed on goals linked to The Curriculum Refresh. Her focus will be on gaining a better understanding and communicating this with our community and figuring out what this means to us all as teachers on the ground!!!
Welcome to all new Within School Leaders; a big welcome to our two newly opened schools Ahutoetoe School and Nukumea Primary School. A very exciting time for you and a fantastic addition to our collaboration journey, with new ideas and more voices !!!!
Enjoy what is left of Summer I look forward to working with you all again
Gillian Bray
Co Lead Principal
Gillian Bray and Cameron Lockie
Co leaders Kāhui Ako ki Orewa
Kia ora, firstly I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Rhonda Beet and I am the new across schools leader of 21st Century Learning. I currently teach a Year 3 class at Orewa Beach School. I have previously worked with the Kahui Ako as an in-school leader and I’m really excited about the challenges and journey ahead. Working alongside me as in-school leaders on 21st Century Learning are Matt Harrison, Paul Tucker, Pip Cowley and Michelle Caldicott (Orewa College), Sandy Blackburn (Wainui School), Emma Lyon (Silverdale School) and Hayley Campbell (Dairy Flat).
Our team is going to be focusing on the Curriculum Refresh, what it means and how we can best unpack it for you. Teaching maths is a passion of mine, however, I am just as excited about seeing all the refreshed areas of the curriculum and how we can improve our teaching practices and help our ākonga to learn, develop and make progress in all areas. This is the biggest change in education since Tomorrow’s Schools was introduced in 1989 and we’re all a part of this. We’re making history!
All elements of the NZC will be refreshed. NZ Aotearoa Histories is out now and personally, I found it user-friendly with a ton of resources and links that have been provided. Even if you don’t teach history, do check it out because the Understand, Know, Do is the model that will be used from now on in all curriculum areas. Each of the three elements has a separate but aligned focus. Students deepen their understanding of the big ideas (understand), as they explore the context (know) using critical practices (do). Think of them as three threads woven together.
You can check out Aotearoa New Zealand’s history and resources here Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories.
Whakatauākī and our Māori Lessons
As part of being in the Kāhui Ako Orewa our kaiako have access to our own resources. As it’s the beginning of the year, it’s a great chance to remind you of two important resources/rauemi available to you.
The first is our Kāhui Ako whakatauākī. It’s a locally written proverb that references Orewa so perfect for use in staff email sign-offs, during speeches/mihimihi and to teach to our students/ākonga. We have a slideshow with sound buttons so that you can learn the correct pronunciation alongside your ākonga/students.
The second is our latest lesson overviews. Each term we put out a full term worth of planning that aims to remove the barriers that teachers face in delivering reo Māori with confidence.
We have worked over the summer to create a set of senior lessons for students who have mastered our original lessons. It’s essentially designed to be professional development for kaiako as they teach.
Take a look, give the lessons a go and remember that acknowledging to your students/ākonga that you are a learner too is ok.
Follow this link to the overview.
Kia kaha, kia māia, kia mānawanui!
“You never know what’s going on underneath”.
The start of this year has been another disrupted one. The effects of the recent floods and Cyclone Gabrielle have been devastating for many across Aotearoa. In general, Auckland experienced more damage and loss of life in the floods, and other parts of New Zealand experienced more damage and loss of life in the cyclone.
The media shows us pictures and video footage daily, of disaster, destruction and loss. This can be vey disturbing and confronting, adding to our own experiences of these events. As in a flood, we never know what’s going on underneath the surface, the same can be said for adults and children dealing with their own experiences and connections to others who have had devastating or shocking experiences.
This presentation may be of benefit to help us to support each other and maintain our mental and physical wellbeing. It is designed to guide and resource you and your students through the after effects of a natural disaster.
Throughout last year the Future Ready rōpū worked to create Digital Technologies Curriculum Progressions across Years 0-10. We then worked to collate a range of resources used to support the teaching and learning of these progressions.
While this is still a work in progress we hope that kaiako in our Kāhui Ako find this resource of value. Our goal is to give kaiako a range of opportunities to integrate digital technologies into their daily classroom programmes in order to enhance learning for their tamariki.
If you would like to contribute to our resources or engage in how this tool can be used email [email protected]
Computational Thinking Digital Progressions
Designing and Developing Digital Outcomes Digital Progressions
InterfaceXpo2023
Last year I attended this as a mini conference and found it great! This year they have gone back to pre-covid times and have a whole day event.
Are you responsible for digital technology at your school? Do you make or influence the decisions about devices, robotics, PLD, BYOD, online tools and resources, digital portfolios, software, cybersafety, and more?
We invite you to join us at INTERFACEXpo 2023 to help you keep ahead of the latest e-learning trends and developments. Don’t miss this opportunity to not only find out what opportunities lie ahead for your school’s e-journey but also network with the digital learning community.
This year we’ll be at:
- Dunedin, Tuesday 16 May
- Lincoln-Christchurch, Friday 19 May
- Cambridge, Tuesday 23 May
- Auckland, Thursday 25 May
Kāhui Ako Hui Dates – Term One 2023
2nd March – Wainui School 10am – ASL and WSL at Orewa College 3.30pm
16th March – Dairy Flat 10am – ASL and WSL Orewa College 3.30pm
30th March – Orewa Beach 10am – ASL and WSL Orewa College 3.30pm
