Week 3, Term 1, 2025

Message and a moan from the Editor- Leo

Kia ora team,

I have thoroughly enjoyed the last fortnight back at school and have totally relished reconnecting with our community, staff and most importantly our kids. There seems to be lots of positivity and optimism at present and this may be due to the energy of the teachers, the developments we have planned, the learning taking place, or maybe just the result of the stunning weather. What ever the cause, I'm embracing it and enjoying while it lasts!

I am hoping that all of you are also in a good space too, that the term has started well and that your world is treating you kindly? If not, do remember that your number one job in 2025 is to better look after yourself. My suggestion being that if you look after yourself like you would your wider staff, you are already on your way.

Now it's not often that I feel worry for the Ministry of Education staff on the ground in the wider Waikato but when I look at the media coverage at present pertaining to the 'School Lunches' fiasco, they, like the schools, kids and communities directly impacted, are doing it rough. Now my personal opinion is that if we are going to lay blame, it should go with the person who facilitated the programme change in the first place. Again, in my humble opinion, this being the Associate Minister, David Seymour. 

I found it fascinating to see Mr Seymour at Waitangi (using this more as campaigning vehicle as opposed to supporting outcomes) and then watching him attempt to drive a Land Rover  up the steps of parliament last week, (again in my opinion more vote mongering) in a constant search for any publicity and attention. I would strongly suggest if he spent more time supporting the 'Lunch in Schools' coordination team, the transport facilitators challenged by delivery scale and strategically liaising with key communities involved, we'd be in a better place. Based on current press and feedback from local Principals it is clear that the Lunch in Schools programme has not improved since Mr Seymour's intervention and if anything, we have gone backwards. It is my earnest hope that perhaps Mr Seymour will look at the evidence and feedback from the last fortnight and, perhaps, see this as more of a cause for urgent attention and spend less time provoking cultural disharmony. Not likely but one can hope. To the MOE staff who are required to support and implement mandated poorly considered initiatives, you too have my sympathy. I know you can only work with the resources provided and parameters provided. To the schools, children and communities who depend on this recently altered service, kia kaha and our thoughts sit with you.

Right, I will step off my soap box and apologise for harping on. 

Have a great week and remember to keep celebrating the small wins and spending less time pondering on the negatives. Like the Warriors, make 2025 your year! Have the faith.

Ka kite, Leo 

Message from our WPA President

Tēnei te mihi ki a koutou e ngā tumuaki o Waikato,

I hope you have been enjoying the warmer weather and that your students settled in well to the new school year despite the heat.

Final arrangements are being made for the WPA Principals' Retreat at Rotorua in March. Registrations for this event are open on the WPA webpage and we have extended the registration window for another few days.  The agenda for the retreat will be sent out to registered attendees. 

With the increased number of changes occurring in education, the WPA executive has organised a Study Tour to Wellington in May this year.   It is planned that this trip will facilitate and enable WPA members to meet with relevant peak and political bodies to discuss the impact of change for their schools.   Details about the Wellington Study Tour are available on the WPA webpage under 'Study Tours'.

A reminder that Waikato Principal Association annual subscriptions are due now.  
Ngā manaakitanga,
Lesley

Professional Readings and Viewings

Why Self-Leadership Matters

At its core, self-leadership is about guiding yourself with intention. It’s the practice of aligning your actions with your values, fostering resilience in the face of challenges, and embracing vulnerability as a source of strength. It’s also about overcoming the perfectionist tendencies that keep us stuck in a cycle of self-doubt and unrealistic expectations.

Here’s how self-leadership transforms not only the individual but also the organisations they lead:

1. Awareness of Inner Narratives

• Every leader has an internal dialogue—a running narrative that can either empower or limit them. For many, perfectionism fuels these thoughts, leading to fears of failure or rejection.

• Self-leadership requires bringing these narratives to light. This involves asking yourself, “What am I afraid of? Is this belief true or helpful?” Once these narratives are identified, you can intentionally replace them with constructive and empowering stories.

• For example, instead of thinking, “I can’t make mistakes,” a more helpful mindset might be, “Mistakes are opportunities to learn and grow.”

• Embracing Vulnerability

• Vulnerability is often misunderstood as weakness, but in reality, it’s one of the greatest strengths a leader can demonstrate. By being open about your imperfections, you create an environment where others feel safe to do the same.

• Self-leadership embraces vulnerability as a way to build trust and connection. It says, “I’m willing to show up as my authentic self, even when it’s uncomfortable.” This courage creates a ripple effect, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and mutual support.

• Balancing Effort with Rest

• Leaders often push themselves to exhaustion, believing that relentless effort is the only path to success. However, self-leadership recognises that rest and rejuvenation are just as essential as hard work.

• Balancing effort with intentional breaks ensures that your energy is sustainable. This isn’t about working less; it’s about working smarter—prioritising quality over quantity and avoiding burnout.

• Self-leadership involves giving yourself permission to rest without guilt and understanding that recovery fuels productivity and creativity.

We had a few questions come to the WPA executive over the past week around the statement in the NZPF update below. We have screenshot a response received below that will hopefully clarify and alleviate some concern. From our understanding these 'conversations' are more about checking in, planning nexts steps and ensuring consistencies.  Again, as we learn more we will update you accordingly and are happy to receive feedback from you!

Curriculum Reviews Twice a Term? (NZPF)

The “surprise” this week is the requirement for principals to complete a ‘Takiwā Twice Termly Information Collection Template’. This has not landed well with principals, who have described it as excessive, and yet another layer of unnecessary red tape, for already overburdened  principals. Many of you quite rightly observed that half a term is not long enough to affect change - after introducing two new curriculum subjects.   Others have described the move as “micromanagement” and “unnecessary oversight”.  If the intention of the twice-a-term reviews is to offer extra resources and support for schools that need it, then - we say -  leave it to the schools to ask for that. 

I have already raised this concern with the Acting Secretary for Education, Ellen Mc Greggor-Reid. We await further response in her next bulletin.

Positive Disruption- It's a good thing.......

“A positive disruptor is someone who challenges current organisational trends and habits and strives to find positive alternatives. A positive disruptor is someone who seeks to uproot, re-plant and change the way we think, behave, conduct business, learn, understand and live out our daily lives.”

Many of us were educated to pass exams; to fit in; to succeed by getting the best marks. Not to disrupt. And we start at work expecting to work in the same way. BUT things have changed; work has changed and in order to progress and make a difference within your team, it is important to disrupt in a positive way. 

What Positive Disruption is NOT. It is not ‘being more visible’; being disruptive for the sake or it, or even narcissistic. This is a business case for challenging existing norms, not making it about Me Me Me! And raising your profile by being a pain to work with. So put your phone away; this isn’t about selfies and self promotion.

So what could you do to be positively disruptive? Here are some ideas

Avoid echo chambers: It can be very easy to listen to views like your own. We are in a very divided world, where opinions are polarised; where there is a reluctance to debate other ideas. If we all have the same opinions, we don’t challenge people to think differently and to consider alternatives. Our social media, the news we read and listen to/watch is based on our preferences influences our thoughts and views of the world. And the media will filter our preferences. Challenge yourself to meet people with other views; to listen to their views. Don’t cancel them; don’t block them unless they are very offensive or aggressive. You might learn something; you might appreciate the insight into someone else’s experience.

Check your biases and stereotyping: It is really easy to fall into the trap of dismissing ideas and challenges because you are biased against the person. Perhaps you disregard the person; perhaps you don’t respect them because they aren’t as experienced; or they are less qualified; or you don’t like them. When we are working with others, it is easy to filter and ignore those we don’t respect. Make sure you are listening to all advice and ideas. Rather like moving out of an echo chamber, keeping an open mind is crucial to positively disrupt.

Challenge existing norms including systems and procedures: As I mentioned before, one of the significant ways we could be positively disruptive, is by challenging existing processes, systems etc. The “Why are we doing this?” or “Is this the best client target?” or even “could we do this more efficiently?” are exactly the questions you should be asking if you wish to disrupt established behaviour and systems. There is a difference between grumbling about everything you are doing and being constructive. Challenging an existing process because it is complicated or not very effective is invaluable insight for the team. If you say why it isn’t working and provide other ideas, it will start a great conversation. Be disruptive; provide value.

Be able to communicate vision and ideas with clarity: If you are challenging others’ thoughts and systems, being clear about what you say, makes more impact. If you have an idea, speak with focus and clarity. Consider how you are going to achieve that goal or vision. Be prepared to listen to others objections and provide solutions.

Create opportunities: Any positive disruptor doesn’t want be passively accepting work and waiting to be asked. They make their own opportunities. Not only do they seek opportunities for themselves, they see if there are business opportunities for the company.

Identify talent in others: This is never only about us. It can appear strange if we are wanting to be positive disruptors to be promoting others. However if there is not a culture of doing this in an organisation: that it is the same old people who are chosen or selected, you aren’t disrupting! You ARE positively disrupting when you are behaving in different way. Disrupting by creating a culture where you lift each other up; celebrate everyone’s contribution and success is going to change for the better! This could be everything from recommending others for opportunities, recognising and celebrating success and speaking positively about everyone’s contribution.

Be prepared to fail and learn: We learn from everything we do and this includes making mistakes and failing. Provided you don’t harm others and lose all your money or that of the company you work for, you will learn from your mistakes. But it is important to reflect on why something failed so you don’t make the same mistakes. There is a great podcast called “How to Fail’ where journalist Elizabeth Day interviews famous people on their failures. Listen here.

Be significant rather than mediocre: we have to show our value. This includes challenging existing norms and suggesting alternatives that Will work. If we are just in a role to do the minimum; to take our salary at the end of each month, you are mediocre. But you won’t be valued. Perhaps you wish to coast and of course that is your idea, but if you want to make a real difference, be significant. Step up. Challenge. Seek opportunities. Be awesome.

Yin and Yang of Principalship

Apologies for the double up team but Banked Staffing is now a more critical that ever area for Principals to grow expertise in. In this edition of the Mailing we have included general good practice guidelines and the details for Banked Staffing expert Brendan Wilson for your reference purposes. I would recommend down loading the support doc and keep Brendans details on file. 

Food Literacy- Is this of interest to you?

Matt Robinson here, founder of EATucation.

I am writing to you in your role as NZEI Waikato Principals' Council to express our interest in sharing our story with your members and how we can help them equip their learners with life-extending and enriching food literacy.

EATucation In A NutshellEATucation is dedicated to ensuring all learners leave school food literate. This is one of the most beneficial gifts a school can give its learners, and we are here to support school leaders and teachers in doing just that!We do this by providing kaiako with ready-made resources that connect food literacy to each part of the curriculum, supporting them to teach the new Literacy, Numeracy curriculums, and Science, Health, and Social Studies while developing their learners' food literacy in the process! This gives teachers the gift of time and allows learners to develop their food literacy as part of their everyday learning, ensuring the learners who need it the most can live long, resilient lives.Our resources are a mix of theory and practical lessons to ensure they suit every school setting and come with everything kaiako need, including games, activities, workbooks, detailed lesson plans, te reo Māori & kai tikanga, fun videos, whānau support packs, and so much more meaning kaiako can pick them up with ease.

Since our launch, we have seen a huge uptake, with 70 secondary schools joining our program and over 7000 students enrolled. In Term 2, we will extend our program to ECE and Primary schools, providing learners and their whānau with a consistent curriculum-wide pathway to better health and well-being!For more information, visit EATucation.co.nz and get in touch to hear how you can give your learners a taonga that will enrich their lives and empower your school community! 

Ngā manaakitanga, 

Matt

Bank Staffing Part 2- If you need more help....

Kia ora,

hope you’ve had a great start to the school year. For some of you, this may be your first week with students—bringing both excitement and a dose of reality. By now, most of you will be aware of the changes to bank staffing provisions for 2025 and have planned accordingly. Attached are some useful MOE resources, including:

• Staffing and Resourcing Dates for 2025
• Excel Staffing Modelling Form
• Updated Bank Staffing Guidance

Key Changes for 2025 For new principals or those needing a refresher:Previously, if you had a surplus in bank staffing, the MOE reimbursed you at the lowest teacher rate. This will no longer apply at the end of PP26 (March 2025), and your surplus will disappear. So, you have Pay Periods 23–26 (January 22 – March 18) to balance your staffing and return to a nil balance—your final chance to adjust last year’s staffing.For many smaller or primary schools, a common strategy to “use up” surplus staffing is to employ relievers for leadership, B.T release or have staff take CRT before the bank staffing year ends. This effectively provides "free" relief teaching. Be sure to check Pourato to review your school’s current bank staffing position. Note: This does not apply to Kaupapa Māori and Māori medium education settings, as they remain eligible for reimbursement on underused bank staffing. If you're in a bank staffing deficit, consider shifting your least experienced (and therefore lowest paid) teacher from Teacher Salaries (TS) to Bulk Grant (BG). This can save you the cost difference between a lower- and higher-paid teacher. The 2024 recovery rate is pro-rated at $94,500.  If you need any support or this is an area of confusion, feel free to give me a call. Have a great day!

Thanks,
Brendan  0225738032. brendan@educationleaders.co.nz

MOE Update -Rebecca Knox/ Amy Hacker

Just a reminder that in the Waikato we are well supported by the expertise of both Amy Hacker and Rebecca Knox. We would strongly recommend you save both email addresses to your files. Amy.Hacker@education.govt.nz  Rebecca.knox@education.govt.nz

WPA 2025 Dates to Remember!

Please be aware that we are only a month away from the WPA Rotorua Retreat. This is a stellar event and the key note speakers Cale Birk and Andy Jones are incredible. It is my strong recommendation that if you are looking for inspiration and strategic leadership inspiration, they are not to be missed. 

Note: Change of date for Term 3 MC Day - now Week 5 14th August.

Waikato Principals' Association 2025 Events

Rotorua Retreat Wednesday 19th March – Friday 21st March 2025 

WPA Wellington Study Tour Wednesday 14 May – Friday 16th May 2025  (Live- Bookings open NOW https://www.wpa.ac.nz/product-category/study-tour/

Making Connections Day Term 2  (Week 7 ) Thursday 12th June 2025 

Making Connections Day Term 3  (Week 5) Thursday – 14th August 2025

Making Connections Day Term 4  (Week 3) Thursday – 23rd October 2025

Few laughs and a giggle to end

Teacher: "If I gave you 2 cats and another 2 cats and another 2, how many would you have?"

Johnny: "Seven."

Teacher: "No, listen carefully... If I gave you two cats, and another two cats and another two, how many would you have?"

Johnny: "Seven."

Teacher: "Let me put it to you differently. If I gave you two apples, and another two apples and another two, how many would you have?"

Johnny: "Six." Teacher: "Good. Now if I gave you two cats, and another two cats and another two, how many would you have?"

Johnny: "Seven!" Teacher: "Johnny, where in the heck do you get seven from?!"

Johnny: "Because I've already got a freaking cat!"

Little Johnny is watching his mum rubbing cold cream on her face and he asks her "why are you rubbing that stuff on your face mother?"His mother replies "to make myself beautiful Johnny." A few minutes later she starts rubbing the cream off with a tissue. Johnny says to her "What is the matter? Are you giving up?"   

Little Johnny attended a horse auction with his father. He watched as his father moved from horse to horse, running his hands up and down the horse's legs and rump, and chest.. After a few minutes, Johnny asked, 'Dad, why are you doing that?' His father replied, 'Because when I'm buying horses, I have to make sure that they are healthy and in good shape before I buy. Johnny, looking worried, said, 'Dad, I think the SKY guy wants to buy Mum .'

WPA Business Partners 2025