Aspiring Leaders
Project Leader names: Vicki Zonnevylle and Hayden Shaw
All about the project:
Aspiring leaders:
We are all leaders! We want to support educators that have leadership/management aspirations.
We aim to source some solid and practical PD for Aspiring Leaders. This will focus on sharing experiences, challenges and other professional development opportunities that come up. Above all creating a collegial network of support.
If this sounds like you, we would love to see you!!
Year 1 and 2 PRT Network
Project Leader names: Dave Thorp, Mark Creba & Vicki Zonnevylle
All about the project:
We want to support Provisionally Registered ECC, Primary and Secondary Teachers in Aoraki by bringing them together and helping them build a professional and social network.
Often in Aoraki schools and ECCs, a PRT may be the only beginning teacher in their staff room. It’s great to be surrounded by supportive experienced colleagues, but you also need to connect with other beginning teachers and share stories and ideas, and talk through problems and solutions.
We also aim to source some solid and practical PD for Beginning Teachers – sessions that should help them prepare for full registration and improve their teaching practice,
We aim to have a mixture of professional and social activities which will provide an environment for Beginning Teachers to share ideas and support each other. We also want to involve PRT mentors at some future meetings.
If this sounds like you, we would love to see you!!
Boys Education
Project Leader names: Mark Creba, Hayden Shaw
All about the project:
Which boys are not succeeding? What are the factors in their underachievement? How do we respond to the educational needs of boys? This project seeks to examine and collaboratively look at answers to these questions while also investigating examples of excellent practice with Boys Education. Join us if these questions and this topic is relevant / of concern to you.
Digital Technology
Project Leader names: Rebecca Best and Hayden Inkster
All about the project:
Come and join us to explore Digital Technology tools that you can use in your classroom. Our aim is to provide hands-on and practical sessions that you can integrate directly into your classroom.
We will be building teacher confidence and competence using digital technologies with the ultimate goal of raising student achievement, as a spin-off from higher engagement levels.
Mathematical Journeys
Project Leader names: Nadine McFarlane and Brandon Payne
All about the project:
With the roll out of the new Mathematics curriculum, there are a lot of teachers looking at their Maths programmes and trying to figure out how to give them a good shake up to get on board with the new direction Maths education is heading. For the last couple of years, Timaru South School along with a couple of other local schools have been working with Rob Proffitt-White on improving our Maths programmes. Going into 2023, there are another approx.18 local schools joining this cluster.
The aim of our group is to try and work smarter, not harder. If we are all on this journey together, then why not share our new thinking, ideas, resources, planning and teaching experiences with each other. We want to be able to create ways of improving students’ critical thinking skills in Maths, in an easy way for teachers to manage and get together to create some exciting new Maths questions and lesson ideas to try out in our own settings.
ECE-Primary Transitions
Project Leader names: Donna O’Toole
All about the project:
The aim of this group is to enhance relationships between local schools and early childhood services through strong leadership focussing on ensuring transitions are as smooth as possible for children starting school.
Pasifika Responsiveness
Project Leader names: Amy Logavatu
All about the project:
Talofa lava, Malo e lelei, Ni sa Bula Vinaka.
“ Pasifika Responsiveness for children and families” Is a Professional learning group for kaiako who want to build strong effective relationships with their Pasifika students and families. We cover basic Tongan, Fijian and Samoan classroom language, learn Pacific songs & dances and cover best teaching practice and resources for our Pasifika learners. This is a very interactive and dedicated group of kaiako and we look forward to welcoming some more passionate and dedicated educators to our group in 2023.
Vinaka vakalevu “
Play Based Learning
Project Leader names: Danielle Young
All about the project:
Let them play!
Come along and join us as we explore learning through play in new entrant and junior classrooms. We will share research, ideas and resources as we:
Look at the importance of play and ways you can include play in your classroom
Discover where to find play items and loose parts for cheap or free, and great storage ideas
Establish routines and rituals for play, to add to your existing classroom programme.
Aotearoa NZ Histories
Project Leader names: Sarah Robinson
All about the project:
Aotearoa New Zealand History and the Refreshed Social Sciences Curriculum:
Aotearoa New Zealand is on a journey to ensure that all ākonga in our schools and kura learn how our histories have shaped our present day lives. The new Aotearoa New Zealand Histories curriculum has been integrated into the refreshed Social Sciences learning area and there is a requirement for schools and kura to implement the ANZH content at the beginning of 2023. However, the requirement for implementation of the rest of the refreshed curriculum is the beginning of 2026.
This project is about supporting teachers with their implementation of the ANZH content as well as the refreshed Social Sciences learning area curriculum. We are wanting to meet throughout the year to share ideas, resources, and best practice pedagogy to assist in the successful implementation of the ANZH and refreshed Social Sciences curriculum documents.
Te Ao Māori
Project Leader names: Whaea Iri
All about the project:
He aha te mea nui o tēnei ao? Māku e kī atu – he tangata, he tangata, he tangata
What is the most important thing in this world? I will say – it is people, it is people, it is people.
- WHAKAHUA – pronunciation
Oropuare – vowels, orokati – consonant, arapū Māori – alphabet, Māori place names, and generalised tautoko (support) to correct pronunciation, diction, etc.
- KARAKIA – grace, prayer, incantation etc.
Build up your repertoire of karakia: two to begin and two to end any hui.
Learn about their importance and enhance understanding.
- PEPEHA – (noun) tribal saying, tribal motto, proverb (especially about a tribe), set form of words, formulaic expression, saying of the ancestors, figure of speech, motto, slogan – set sayings known for their economy of words and metaphor and encapsulating many Māori values and human characteristics. (taken from Māori dictionary online).
Understanding this aspect to grow your knowledge base and gain confidence to teach this area.
- WHANAUNGATANGA – relationship, connections etc.- (focus on a different value every term).
Looking at this through a Māori lens and unpacking its meaning to gain a deeper understanding will help you to incorporate this value into your teaching and planning.
- KŌRERO – speaking
- Basic kupu – to build our vocabulary
- Basic sentence structure – to be able to communicate
- Pātai (question/s) & whakautu (answers) to seek info & answer
- Negating
- KĪWAHA/WHAKATAUKĪ – sayings, colloquialisms, proverbs
Unlocking the hidden gems in using these taonga (tool/s) within your learning
and teaching.
Yr 7-10 Curriculum Network:
Project Leader names: Nic Hill
All about the project:
We will look at different curriculum areas and then also look at any specific needs kaiako would like to address. We will be looking at the curriculum side of Y7 – 10. We have subject specific teachers and effective classroom teachers at all levels. This is about sharing the knowledge we have in our Kāhui Ako and allowing connections to deepen understanding of what is taught at each level.
Structured Literacy
This group won’t be continuing in 2023
Project Leader names: Brandon Payne
All about the project:
Our group of secondary teachers have been looking at the literacy issues we are facing in our classrooms across all departments. Our aim is to produce a bank of resources to help support literacy across all subjects in the secondary sector. We are also interested in the new literacy standards and how this rollout will look in our schools.
Determining what forms of Literacy testing are done at Primary School(s), and what data/info is available/given to Secondary Schools when students transition. Surveyed Primary & Secondary teachers to see if it is suitable and appropriate, and determine if further information/data would be needed/beneficial.
Local Curriculum
This group won’t be continuing in 2023
Project Leader names: Stuart Wilcox
All about the project:
Primary - Secondary Transitions
This group won’t be continuing in 2023
Project Leader names:Deb Hales & Rachel Fenwick
All about the project: The Primary/Secondary Transitions group has worked through three key areas: Enhancing the physical transition to secondary school Data gathering and receiving Strengthening learning pathways Many group members have taken the opportunity to visit each other’s classes in order to support the physical transition to secondary and the challenges this can present for some students. We hope to continue strengthening this connection. We are currently working on strengthening the sharing of information around our high needs students and ensuring the correct documentation or processes are in place, ready for the start of Year 9. Other Kahui Ako groups have taken on a natural role of looking into curriculum pathways and we look forward to liasing with these groups.
Gifted and Talented Akonga
This group won’t be continuing in 2023
Project Leader names: Frances Coleman & Hamish Brown
All about the project:
The group have been creating a check list for initial identification of significant strengths/talents in akonga and are seeking to make this available to all kura. Our next step is to create practical resources for students, families and kura and we will be working with local community facilities to do this. We are also aiming to initiate an activity day for a group of children who exhibit similar strengths.
Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy
This group won’t be continuing in 2023
Project Leader names: Nic Hill
All about the project:
As a Kāhui Ako, we have engaged with Dr. Ann Milne – Colouring the White Spaces, through CFPLD. This addresses the “Initial Niggles” that were discussed in our initial hui – Term 1, 2021. Our mahi has begun with Course One and will continue with Course Two.
COURSE ONE: IDENTIFYING OUR WHITE SPACES By the end of Course One, participants will have … • identified and analysed the barriers and the “white spaces” that impede progress towards developing programmes that are pluralistic and equitable. This includes analysis of barriers such as privilege and hegemony and how we perpetuate these in our teaching and learning practice.
Modules: 1. Know Yourself. Know your learners. 2. Identifying “White Spaces”. 3. Identifying “Sharks” (covert white spaces & practice). 4. Dismantling White Spaces. What can we change? 5. Where do I start? Implementing the modules.
COURSE TWO: DECOLONISING THE CURRICULUM: BEYOND “CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE” By the end of Course Two, participants will have … • identified actions to dismantle those barriers (these might be personal actions or institutional barriers that need to change) to develop both curriculum content and pedagogy that are culturally sustaining and critical.
Modules: 1. The Colonised Curriculum. How our current practice works against Māori/Pasifika learners. 2. The Decolonised Curriculum 3. The Pluralistic Curriculum 4. The Critical, Culturally Sustaining Curriculum 5. My Curriculum. What can I change? Implementing the modules.
Wellbeing
This group won’t be continuing in 2023
Project Leader names: Steve Zonnevylle and Sally Hilton
All about the project:
We have been discussing: teacher and student wellbeing, a growth coaching model of how to engage in conversations with others sharing and investigated the most popular wellbeing models used in schools developed a website that is designed as a place that all professionals and parents can access for wellbeing support and resources. We hope that this will continue to be developed to keep it relevant and up to date as needs change, Where to next? Until the end of the year – Continue to Meet as a group to share practice and ‘whats on top’, to provide collegial support and to add resources to the website where possible.
Whanau Engagement and Connections
This group won’t be continuing in 2023
Project Leader names: Kenny Diamond and Rachel Fenwick
All about the project:
We have been gathering information and data about interactions that exist between whānau and Kura. We are questioning the differences between contact and engagement. Our next step will be to analyse the data we are collecting from teachers and whānau. We will begin trialling ideas that have been shared to develop some exemplars and tools for Kura to use in developing positive relationships with whānau.
