7 December 2015

Newsletter Articles

Principals supporting Principals… Principals supporting Principles!

Kia Ora

This week’s email update…..

This is the last Monday Mailing for 2015. On behalf of the WPA executive team, I wish you all a very happy holiday.

Stay away from school for at least four weeks. This is time for yourself; for your family, and to be with your friends. Refresh, recharge, and rejuvenate.

Kind regards

Pat

WPA Dates

2016	April	9	Saturday	Road Trip – Singapore April 9 -15 2016
	November	18		WPA Dinner
CatchUp Days 2016
	March	17	Thursday	Catchup Day – Neil O’Reilly. Flexible Learning Spaces.
	July	6	Wednesday	Catchup Day - Kath Murdoch. Inquiry Learning.
	September	7	Wednesday	Catchup Day - Nigel Latta
	November	3	TBA	Catchup Day Staffing and budgeting for following year.

Other Dates

May	31	Tuesday	NZPF – APPA Conference – Auckland May 31 – June 3 2016
July	6-8		NZEI Rural & Teaching Principals Conference, Tauranga

Survey – 1 Minute Survey - Monday Mailing Format

This term the Monday Mailing has been in a different format. Please take one minute to give feedback about the content and new format. Please click here.

The shortest survey of your whole life.

Vulnerable Children’s Act – A Resource

Earlier this year, I sent out a VCA checklist to be used when appointing a staff member. Attached is an excellent booklet from Child Matters called Safer Recruitment Safer Children. It is an excellent guide for getting your appointment practices right.

Rant!! Consultation?

When is a consultation not a consultation?

by Save Our Schools NZ

One gets the distinct feeling the Education Act Update is already written and these workshops are simply a merry dance to make us feel like we are being consulted...

It sounds cynical, I know, but after closely following the antics of Hekia Parata for the past few years, the only conclusion any sane person could come to is that consultations are a sham and done only to fulfil the requirement to hold one, not to actually listen or learn or change anything.

I'm thinking of Christchurch, Salisbury, Redcliffs... of select committees and consultation with unions. I'm thinking of ECE reforms.

The plans are predetermined; consultation done in name only.

So why, you may ask, did I bother dragging myself to an Education Act Update Workshop this week? I could have stayed home and put the tree up. I know my 6 year old would have been far happier not to have to sit there for 2 hours - the iPad and the superb scones could only hold his attention for so long. But drag myself (and child) to the workshop I did, and here's why.

It is important to make our voices heard.

It is important to hear what other have to say and to discuss issues with them.

And it is vital our views are recorded, in writing, on the Ministry's wee feedback forms.

This is crucial even when the Minister isn't listening. Perhaps especially when she isn't listening?

If we don't have a voice, the Minister can rightly say we don't care what happens. She can say we agree with her plans - taking silence to be tacit approval. She can carry on with impunity, implementing her reform agenda. And that would be a disaster.

It must be on record that we stood up to this. It must be on record what parents, teachers, support staff, principals, whanau and students DO want. Because when the tide turns - and at some point it will - we must be able to point to evidence of what we were asking for and how things must change.

Our voices do matter.

Put a submission in now it only take 15 minutes if you only respond to the items that are important to you!

Holiday Reading – ERO

Attached is ERO’s booklet about good practice in relation to internal evaluation – a pleasant holiday read!

Hmmm… Be your best.

Health & Happiness – Attitude

A Thought – Gentlemen

A message for our young men…

And a Laugh

A brunette goes into a doctor's office and says that her body hurts wherever she touches it. "Impossible," says the doctor. "Show me." She takes her finger, presses on her elbow, and screams in agony. She pushes her knee and screams, pushes her ankle and screams, and so it goes on; everywhere she touches makes her scream with pain. The doctor says, "You're not really a brunette are you?" She says, "No, I dyed my hair. I'm naturally blonde." "I thought so," he says. "Your finger is broken."

Three brothers wanted to give their blind mom a birthday gift. The first got her a big beautiful house. The second got her a brand new luxury vehicle with a driver. The third got her a talking parrot to keep her company. When they all got together, they wanted to know which gift she liked best. She said they were all great but she thanked her third son because she liked the chicken dinner best.

I never wanted to believe that my Dad was stealing from his job as a road worker. But when I got home, all the signs were there.

Please support our WPA Business Partners

BUSINESS PARTNER	CONTACT	EMAIL	TEL NO.
Gold
ASB	Phillipa Bennyworth	Phillipa.Bennyworth@asb.co.nz	021 243 3316
Furnware	Richard Jenkins	richardj@furnware.co.nz	021 544 575
Konica Minolta	Jemima Brindle	Jemima.Brindle@konicaminolta.co.nz	021 760 478
Autex	Jeremy Robertshaw	jrobertshaw@autex.co.nz	021 669 313
Silver
Kukri	Mark McConnell	mark@kukri.co.nz	021 781 122
Sitech	Phil Mellar	phil@sitech.co.nz	0800 100 607
Footsteps	Stephen Evans	stephen@footsteps.com.au	0800 66 66 88
TTS	Wade Charman	wade.charman@tts.co.nz	07 839 7129
CORE Education Ltd.	Jo Wilson	jo.wilson@core-ed.org	021 2780768
Institute of Professional Learning	Jan Martin	jmartin@waikato.ac.nz	027 286 1114
Bronze
Photolife	Bob Bradley	bobb@photolife.co.nz	021 929 584
Total Education	Neil Ferguson	neil@totaleducation.co.nz	06 843 1300
Reharvest	Reubin Maindonald	reuben@reharvest.co.nz	09 299 3999
Programmed	Kevin Bird	Kevin.Bird@programmed.co.nz;	07 849 7100
Accounting	Peter Granville	peter@pmgranville.co.nz	07 856 1400
Skids	Chris Bartels	chris@skids.co.nz	09 576 6602
Musac	Geoff Flett	Geoff.Flett@musac.co.nz	021 973 143
Playco	Thomas Patterson	Thomas@playco.co.nz	021 287 5638
Class Cover	Peter Carpenter	peter.carpenter@classcover.com.au	0800 600 102
Schoolzine	Dion Guthrie	dion.guthrie@schoolzine.com.au	07 5414 2362
Crest Clean	Nivitesh Kumar	nivitesh@crestclean.co.nz	027 555 2144