31/3/2020
It's funny I sit here and reflect on the term that has been while in Lockdown, writing my blog that I put down as a goal that i would update weekly. I think of my blog title 'New Beginnings" and would not have guessed that three months ago this is where we would be and how different the world currently is and how different it will be from here on in, 'New Beginnings" could never be so true.
Term One has been frantic, I think i have referred to myself as Dory from Finding Nemo numerous times and singing "just keep swimming, just keep swimming, to people when they ask me how i am going. The introduction of both Wānanga and Hurumanu has seen a high level of angst I think in the staff room at times. This does not mean that this is not right, it just means that yet again our staff are putting their all into this and make sure we are doing the best for our students. It is certainly one thing i will say about our staff is that they put a lot of time and effort into making sure we have things in place for our students, so that they get the best out of their education.
On a personal note i have really enjoyed the opportunity to be a part of Wānanga, it has allowed be to be involved in a part of the school that i would not normally have anything to do with except for the interactions that you may have while out on duty. An added bonus is getting to work with staff that i normally wouldn't have had much to do with had we remained silo structure. The team in Mōhua have been great and i am thoroughly enjoying working with them on a daily bases.
Getting back to the current situations NZ is currently in a 4 week Lockdown from our Govt to help prevent the spread of Covid 19 from spreading in our communities. It's been nearly a week since school was officially closed. Last week it was nice to be in at work and work along side (yet it be 2meters apart) to help come up with beneficial online learning that can be done by our students. it was really nice to see us banding together and just be around each other prior to going into this lockdown, especially as i live on my own it just gave me that respite.
Since being in lockdown i have never seen my house so clean, it's amazing what you can achieve when you have know where to go and the weather is rubbish. I have done some baking, but again am conscious that i am the only one that can eat it. I have enjoyed seeing the different things that people are willing to do to keep themselves amused. Les Mills session in the morning have been great as well as my exercise class being on line live through zoom have been great.
Zoom the greatest word since being in lockdown, i love this feature and have enjoyed connecting with staff, friends and family, it is a great tool and is certainly keeping me sane during this time. Am looking forward to the cheese club that is going ahead as planned on friday where everyone will be sharing the cheese they are having at the time.
Stay safe, stay at home and enjoy the time with loved ones
Monday, March 30, 2020
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Year 7-9 Arrive on Site
JANUARY'S END SEES THE STUDENTS RETURN
2020 sees the introduction of our new wānanga class. Wānanga provides a structured time for our kaiako and rangatahi to build on relationships. To establish a positive culture within our kura, where students are willing to step outside their comfort zones, take risks in their learning and to flourish in areas that they are passionate about; while at the same time allowing staff to support our learners towards their chosen pathways.
We see Wānanga as :
Thursday 30th saw the first day of meeting our new wānanga students. Nerves were high from all corners - staff, students and especially the parents. The Year 7's showed signs of being overwhelmed, new with that slightly big uniforms that they will all go into, their face that showed amazement, terror and nervousness all at the same time. They all sat so quietly taking everything in and happy to explore, meeting their huramanu teachers and seeing the different places where their learning will happen. At the end of the day I was humbled by a wee girl that approached me and handed me a apple and said "we don't give our teachers apples anymore, thank you for being kind". The action was heart warming and certainly made my day.
We see Wānanga as :
- Relational - getting to know our learner
- Helping akonga to navigate their way
- Learner focused
- Innovative
- Supportive
- Differentiated to meet individual students’ needs
- Co-constructed
- Structured
- Increasing student wellbeing
Thursday 30th saw the first day of meeting our new wānanga students. Nerves were high from all corners - staff, students and especially the parents. The Year 7's showed signs of being overwhelmed, new with that slightly big uniforms that they will all go into, their face that showed amazement, terror and nervousness all at the same time. They all sat so quietly taking everything in and happy to explore, meeting their huramanu teachers and seeing the different places where their learning will happen. At the end of the day I was humbled by a wee girl that approached me and handed me a apple and said "we don't give our teachers apples anymore, thank you for being kind". The action was heart warming and certainly made my day.New Beginnings 2020
27th Jan 2020
NEW YEAR, NEW BEGINNING
"there is nothing quiet as intoxicating as certainty"
- What do i do to move us closer to the strategic goals and our move to creative excellence?
Wānanga will be my focus for 2020 and my stepping stone to improving my students ability to generate creative excellence. Through wānanga students will have the opportunity to take risks, get given leadership opportunities and build relationships with both staff and students.
- Reflection from the year before?
marks that were gained considering the ups and downs I had last year I am pleasantly surprised to have gained my first Excellence in Home Ec externals along with Merits. I really want to maintain the momentum that I’ve started and work towards course endorsement, it’s there for the taking we just need to build on the culture of the students to make them want it just as much as I want it for them.
- Focus for the year
Based on the data over the past three years our students writing level for all gender and ethnicity are above the national average. While Maths and Reading are the focus for the this year and will be seen in Wānanga through the DEAR (drop everything and read) as well as incorporating Literacy into our lesson plans when looking at CARR, Wellbeing and Cyber safety.
Increase expectations of your students - those that are not yet gaining Achieves but are certainly capable of, still need that guidance and support to get them there. While maintaining the standard for our Excellent students.
Cultural Responsiveness
reflect on what changes i would like to make?
I see Wānanga as a good starting point to introduce the ideals around cultural responsiveness, especially the philosophy around contentedness and getting to know the people round you.
NEW YEAR, NEW BEGINNING
"there is nothing quiet as intoxicating as certainty"
- What do i do to move us closer to the strategic goals and our move to creative excellence?
Wānanga will be my focus for 2020 and my stepping stone to improving my students ability to generate creative excellence. Through wānanga students will have the opportunity to take risks, get given leadership opportunities and build relationships with both staff and students.
- Reflection from the year before?
marks that were gained considering the ups and downs I had last year I am pleasantly surprised to have gained my first Excellence in Home Ec externals along with Merits. I really want to maintain the momentum that I’ve started and work towards course endorsement, it’s there for the taking we just need to build on the culture of the students to make them want it just as much as I want it for them.
- Focus for the year
Based on the data over the past three years our students writing level for all gender and ethnicity are above the national average. While Maths and Reading are the focus for the this year and will be seen in Wānanga through the DEAR (drop everything and read) as well as incorporating Literacy into our lesson plans when looking at CARR, Wellbeing and Cyber safety.
Increase expectations of your students - those that are not yet gaining Achieves but are certainly capable of, still need that guidance and support to get them there. While maintaining the standard for our Excellent students.
Cultural Responsiveness
reflect on what changes i would like to make?
I see Wānanga as a good starting point to introduce the ideals around cultural responsiveness, especially the philosophy around contentedness and getting to know the people round you.
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Hospo Pd Cluster at Burnside High school
29th November
Today I got the opportunity to attend the Hospitality Cluster Meeting held at Burnside High School. I have attached below the Agenda for the day
The morning session consisted of going through requirements for moderation and Consent to Assess. It was interesting to see the direction that Service IQ are heading and the introduction of E-Learning into their product options. Considering the direction that most schools are going it is good to see this option is becoming more accessible. However i feel there are still a number of issues that need to be looked at like access to students work.
The ability to talk to other staff especially as I am going through the rebuild was of huge benefit as it allowed me to get the views of other from around the south island and made me feel more confident about the decisions that i have made and the things that i am fighting for in my department.
In the afternoon we had a chef come in and demonstrate the way in which you can combine three units eg Grilling, Frying and Salad or boiling while using the observation sheet. I still find the observation sheet tricky to use and a bit cumbersome, especially during a practical lesson with over 24 students.
Today I got the opportunity to attend the Hospitality Cluster Meeting held at Burnside High School. I have attached below the Agenda for the day
The morning session consisted of going through requirements for moderation and Consent to Assess. It was interesting to see the direction that Service IQ are heading and the introduction of E-Learning into their product options. Considering the direction that most schools are going it is good to see this option is becoming more accessible. However i feel there are still a number of issues that need to be looked at like access to students work.
The ability to talk to other staff especially as I am going through the rebuild was of huge benefit as it allowed me to get the views of other from around the south island and made me feel more confident about the decisions that i have made and the things that i am fighting for in my department.
In the afternoon we had a chef come in and demonstrate the way in which you can combine three units eg Grilling, Frying and Salad or boiling while using the observation sheet. I still find the observation sheet tricky to use and a bit cumbersome, especially during a practical lesson with over 24 students.
Thursday, November 9, 2017
Novemeber 10th
Due to the nature of my subject understanding an knowing how to control a fire extinguisher is actually quiet important. Before going into this training i thought i knew what to do, but actually i really don't.
Key points to remember
1. don't hold down handle until ready to fire
2. remove the pin
3. make sure the extinguisher is held in an up right position
4. release slow and steady, sweeping over the area of the fire, aiming for the base of it.
something that i did not know that i went back to the room and checked was that different models have different purposes. The guys final piece of advice was, if you are unsure then get out and sound the alarm.
Due to the nature of my subject understanding an knowing how to control a fire extinguisher is actually quiet important. Before going into this training i thought i knew what to do, but actually i really don't.
Key points to remember
1. don't hold down handle until ready to fire
2. remove the pin
3. make sure the extinguisher is held in an up right position
4. release slow and steady, sweeping over the area of the fire, aiming for the base of it.
something that i did not know that i went back to the room and checked was that different models have different purposes. The guys final piece of advice was, if you are unsure then get out and sound the alarm.
Sunday, September 17, 2017
Next Steps Camp
18/9/17
At the beginning of August 60 students and 4 staff (Honor, Alby, Phil and Allen) headed off to Kaipoi Blue Skies to attend Hornby's Next Steps Camp (Leadership Camp). Its a three day camp where students test themselves, step outside the box and work with people they may not have had anything to do with prior.
The most important session that came from this was the Mana Horomaka session. This came about because we were concerned about the level of pride that students were demonstrating in school presently. We wanted to inspire them to hold their heads high, have pride in the school that they represent and not to be afraid to take risks.
We got the students to look at the barriers that were holding them back from having pride, below is a list of things they came up with. Many of the barriers are things that they themselves could actually change, while other barriers are things that we don't have control over eg school rebuild.
We got the students to then do a Y diagram of what they would like Hornby to 'Look' , "Sound' and 'Feel' like and they then had to place these ideas onto the cut out letters of Hornby Pride and Mana Horomaka that you can see below
The third and find step in the session where the Mana Horomaka posters. Prior to camp I contacted 10 former students who were willing to put their name and face to support the project. They sent me a quote that represented their reasons for being proud to have come from Hornby.
At the beginning of August 60 students and 4 staff (Honor, Alby, Phil and Allen) headed off to Kaipoi Blue Skies to attend Hornby's Next Steps Camp (Leadership Camp). Its a three day camp where students test themselves, step outside the box and work with people they may not have had anything to do with prior.
The most important session that came from this was the Mana Horomaka session. This came about because we were concerned about the level of pride that students were demonstrating in school presently. We wanted to inspire them to hold their heads high, have pride in the school that they represent and not to be afraid to take risks.
We got the students to look at the barriers that were holding them back from having pride, below is a list of things they came up with. Many of the barriers are things that they themselves could actually change, while other barriers are things that we don't have control over eg school rebuild.
We got the students to then do a Y diagram of what they would like Hornby to 'Look' , "Sound' and 'Feel' like and they then had to place these ideas onto the cut out letters of Hornby Pride and Mana Horomaka that you can see below
The third and find step in the session where the Mana Horomaka posters. Prior to camp I contacted 10 former students who were willing to put their name and face to support the project. They sent me a quote that represented their reasons for being proud to have come from Hornby.
After showing them the ones from former students we asked the current students to make ones of their own and a couple of what they produced is below
Now we are back at school we have set up a Mana Horomaka committee that is responsible for now using student voice to help promote the message and assist in building that Pride school wide. We have presented back to the school and am now looking at introducing Mana Horomaka awards for the end of each term for both Senior and Junior students
Professional development #2
My second factor that I have been involved in for the past 4-5 weeks is learning how to run a student lead inquiry. I had no idea where to start with this discussion looking back I have made mistakes that I would change next time such having a strong marking criteria, a timeline with expectations linked to each milestone and allowing the students longer period for the doing and action phase so as to get stronger results on this.
I have found both pros and cons with doing this learning style
1. Its tricky to learn to let go the reins of the class, many times I felt redundant as the students worked independently on their chosen topics.
2. Trying to target the knowledge or information part of the inquiry so that it excites the students into engagement
3. I needed to set more dates of accomplishment so that students didn't get behind.
Things I loved some students really took to this a ran with coming up with some great ideas such as
- applying to get free fruit in canteen
- fitness programs with junior school
- healthy items in the canteen
- creating veggie garden
18/9/17
I am really embarrassed that i have not actually posted on here for such a long time. Reflection back on the Inquiry that i tried doing in Year 10 was a bit of a disaster. The students had some great ideas but unfortunately the follow through was a bit rubbish, therefore we didn't get much completed.
I would like to try and do this again next year and now that i have an idea of how to run it i will feel more confident about how to structure it and make it more achievable for the students to obtain.
I have found both pros and cons with doing this learning style
1. Its tricky to learn to let go the reins of the class, many times I felt redundant as the students worked independently on their chosen topics.
2. Trying to target the knowledge or information part of the inquiry so that it excites the students into engagement
3. I needed to set more dates of accomplishment so that students didn't get behind.
Things I loved some students really took to this a ran with coming up with some great ideas such as
- applying to get free fruit in canteen
- fitness programs with junior school
- healthy items in the canteen
- creating veggie garden
18/9/17
I am really embarrassed that i have not actually posted on here for such a long time. Reflection back on the Inquiry that i tried doing in Year 10 was a bit of a disaster. The students had some great ideas but unfortunately the follow through was a bit rubbish, therefore we didn't get much completed.
I would like to try and do this again next year and now that i have an idea of how to run it i will feel more confident about how to structure it and make it more achievable for the students to obtain.
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