22 February 2016

Newsletter Articles

Kia Ora

Please find this week’s Monday Mailing below.

You can access all Monday Mailings by clicking here or going to http://www.wpa.ac.nz/1/newsletter_sets/1-monday-mailing/years/2016 in your web browser.

Kind regards
Pat

Help!! Custody and Medical Issues

How do you ensure relieving teachers are aware of medical and custody issues (who can and cannot pick up child) of children in their class? We could do a print out of their class with the temporary roll we print for relieving teachers – but then there are confidentiality issues – a list left on a desk can be seen by children and parents!

What do you do to ensure relieving teachers are aware of medial and custody issues?

Responses to principal@ddeanwell.school.nz please. And thank you!

WPA Dates

Other Dates

2016 WPA Subscriptions

You can pay your 20156 WPA subsection by clicking here or going to

Jemima Brindle

After over 15 years with Konica Minolta I have made a very difficult decision to resign as Education Specialist, my last day will be Friday 26th February. I am taking up a sales role with Southern Cross Health Care, completely different from copiers & technology and a very big challenge which I'm looking to embrace.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your on-going support over the 15+ years. I believe whole hearty that I have worked for the best company and that we have the best technical support team that I know will continue the outstanding support for the Waikato Education sector.

The last 15years have been a amazing journey and I have enjoyed my time spent with you all especially getting to know you outside of the office through the WPA functions & events. As you can imagine this was not a easy decision for me and I have shed a few tears with goodbyes and I'm sure a few more before the 26th, I am hoping to get to see you all before I depart.

Thank you all and I wish you well.

Jemima

On behalf of the WPA, I wish to tank Jemima for her fantastic support over the past fifteen years – support for the WPA and support for schools. I wish her every success in her new job.

Pat Poland

Core Education Breakfast – March 17

The first Core Education Breakfast for 2016 is on 17 March with Derek Wenmoth presenting - What will it mean to be educated in 2050?

Many of you had the opportunity to hear Derek present to the WPA in November last year. The seminar presentation is designed to provide middle leaders and teachers with the opportunities to:

• consider and challenge their thinking about the purpose(s) of formal education
• explore the drivers of change and the impact on how we think of schools and schooling
• examine some of the key trends and future state thinking
• consider the implications for their teaching, our schools, and our education system.

The workshop following the seminar will provide attendees with an opportunity to:

• engage in discussion and exploration of global trends and their potential impact on the education sector
• examine recent reports and findings and discuss implications for their school
• work collaboratively to design a future-focused approach for their context that addresses identified areas of need or opportunity.

Register here.

Jo Wilson
Senior Consultant

CORE Education Ltd M: 021 2780768 T: jmw58

Online Programmes | In-depth learning at home | Variety of topics starting Term 1 2016 | View programmes and register

WFPSA 2016 - Waikato Full Primary Schools

Kia ora everyone.

Hope the year has started off well for you all. Apologies in advance for any double-ups of emails but we are trying to reach as many people as possible as we look to build our ever growing membership further.

Have you got Year 7&8 students and want to give them opportunities to showcase their skills??

It is important we are a strong organisation and this is only possible with your support. Get your school signed up and join in the many great events that are on offer through the WFPSA. If your school has Year 7&8 students then you are able to join us. Find attached a flyer which outlines what we are about and has all the events for 2016. We would love to have you on board.

Subscriptions are now due. Sign up now and have your students involved in our first event - Swimming Sports on Wednesday 16th March at St Peters in Cambridge. The link below will give you more information about this.

Thanks everyone and we hope to see you all involved during the year. Don't forget the attachments below to join up.

Regards
Rodney Montford
WFPSA Communications
Maramarua School | 2200 State Highway 2
Maramarua | RD 1 Pokeno | 09 232 5846
principal@maramarua.school.nz

Catch Up Day March 17

MLE, ILE, MLP, FLS, FLE, ILP, GOD, HELP, ME!

Are we on another bandwagon?

The last two years has seen a rapid transition to collaborative teaching and learning in flexible learning spaces. What is the rationale for this, where is the research, why are we doing this and can it work?

Over two sessions Neill will share his research " Key components to creating effective collaborative teaching relationships"

The sessions include analysis of and lessons from the open plan era, key components leaders must consider when transitioning to collaborative teaching in a flexible learning space together with a range of templates and tools to examine where you are at and where to next.

Together we will discuss (and dismiss) the acronyms, consider how to communicate effectively with parents so they are onboard and consider consistent messages as a association of schools.

Come with your questions (in fact feel free to e mail them advance! neill.oreilly@waitakiri.school.nz ) and be prepared to work together in this most exciting of times in our educational history.

Rant (a well-balanced argument)…

Why Are We Squandering $359 Million on Misguided Education Policies?

Warwick Elley

Now that the Ministry of Education is reconsidering, with primary teachers, the shape of its keynote plan “Investment in Education Success” (IES), we should examine the evidence for the original proposal. The scheme was rejected by 93% of primary teachers, not just because it was another surprise package, imposed without consultation, but because teachers see more drawbacks than benefits. I share their scepticism.

First, the Minister exaggerates the potential of schools to reduce gaps between high and low achievers. She quotes poverty as accounting for only 18% of the differences between students. That figure ignores the influence of many non-school indicators not measured in PISA. Visiting expert David Berliner puts our figure at 78% of student achievement differences due to home circumstances, neighbourhood influences and school social status. That leaves little room for changes due to differences in the quality of teaching. We cannot generalise from the dissenting Tennessee study quoted by the Ministry. It is dated, confined to one subject and one cohort, and assumes that NZ teachers vary in quality as much as US teachers. Furthermore, common sense suggests that there are many ways of being a good teacher. Raising literacy and numeracy test scores are only two.

The objective of IES is to raise the achievement of all students, high-achievers and selected priority groups – Maori, Pasifika, Low SES and Special Needs students. As we have consistently out-performed other nations in the percentages of students achieving at the highest levels, but have failed to reduce our “under-achieving tail”, it is surely better to focus those millions on reducing the gaps between the priority groups and the rest. Spending up in the top schools will only increase the size of our gaps, as the research consistently shows that un-targetted interventions help top students the most.

Much of the Ministry evidence justifying IES comes from two British sources - the McKinsey Reports. These purport to reveal the secrets of systems described as “sustained improvers” in international surveys. No mention is made of the critiques of these reports. For instance, claims about the success of England’s literacy and numeracy strategies are surely false, as the gains quoted predated the relevant surveys. Likewise the successes attributed to Michael Fullan, popular adviser in Canada, Australia, England and New Zealand, must also be questioned. All these education systems have been in steady decline in PISA in recent years. Bias or shoddy scholarship?

There may be merit in forming “Communities of Schools” to share “best practice” but the case is not well made. As this Government has done so much to provoke strong competition between schools – through National Standards and league tables – the hoped-for cooperation between schools would be half-hearted at best. We should follow the example of most European countries and dispense with competitive rankings of schools, which are clearly shown to polarise achievement levels. Moreover, the idea of absenting top teachers and leaders from their stations – with big bonuses - to help others, is unpopular with teachers and parents. Research shows that many teachers are effective when they spend long hours, going the extra mile for their own students. Low-achieving schools need the best principals and teachers fulltime, not as periodic visitors. We need more incentives to secure this outcome.

Importing the teacher-sharing models from Asia is highly debatable as their systems are much more authoritarian, their educational goals narrower, and their after-hours coaching schools often contribute more than their regular schools. Even the quoted example of principals spending time supervising a range of municipal schools in Finland ignores the fact that we are unique in having no structure between schools and central authority, which lumbers our principals with far more duties to perform. Few could spend days away from their desk.

Perhaps “best practices” of successful teachers should be identified and disseminated if possible, but many already exist. For instance, students who struggle in reading need early, individualised, intensive, expert help. Such effective tutoring has been given to thousands of 6-year-olds, here and overseas, in the form of Reading Recovery. Yet only half of our low-decile schools, where most strugglers are found, can afford it. Jeanne Biddulph’s “Reading Together” Programme where parents are taught effective tutoring practices is another proven strategy. There is research to support numerous other targetted interventions. The millions should be invested here, not on teacher bonuses.

Of course, IES would have minimal impact if the root causes of achievement gaps – poverty and inequality - are not addressed more vigorously, in the early years. More resources for pre-natal care, more support for young mothers, more “at risk” children given easier access to quality ECE, earlier screening for disabilities – such measures would generate “sustained improvements”. The research is clear – dollars invested in quality child care will save thousands later!

Hmmm…

Health & Happiness… Control

Control what you can, let the rest go!

A Reading… The Defining Qualities of Amazing School Leaders

Click here or read the pdf.

A Thought – Leadership

A Laugh

A Mexican bandit made a specialty of crossing the Rio Grande from time to time and robbing banks in Texas. Finally, a reward was offered for his capture, and an enterprising Texas ranger decided to track him down.

After a lengthy search, he traced the bandit to his favorite cantina, snuck up behind him, put his trusty six-shooter to the bandit's head, and said, "You're under arrest. Tell me where you hid the loot or I'll shoot you." But the bandit didn't speak English, and the Ranger didn't speak Spanish.

The Ranger asked a local to translate his message. The terrified bandit blurted out, in Spanish, that the loot was buried under the oak tree in back of the cantina. "What did he say?" asked the Ranger anxiously. The local answered, He say, "He no afraid to die!"

Retired Husband – An oldies but a goodie…

After I retired, my wife insisted that I accompany her on her trips to Walmart. Unfortunately, like most men, I found shopping boring and preferred to get in and get out. Equally unfortunate, my wife is like most women - she loves to browse.

Yesterday my dear wife received the following letter from the local Walmart.

Dear Mrs. Woolf,

Over the past six months, your husband has caused quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior and have been forced to ban both of you from the store. Our complaints against your husband, Mr. Woolf, are listed below and are documented by our video surveillance cameras:

1. June 15: He took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in other people's carts when they weren't looking.

2. July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.

3. July 7: He made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the women's restroom.

4. July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice, 'Code 3 in Housewares. Get on it right away'. This caused the employee to leave her assigned station and receive a reprimand from her Supervisor that in turn resulted in management getting involved causing management to lose time and costing the company money.

5. August 4: Went to the Service Desk and tried to reserve a bag of chips.

6. August 14: Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.

7. August 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told the children shoppers they could come in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department - to which twenty children obliged.

8. August 23: When a clerk asked if they could help him he began crying and screamed, 'Why can't you people just leave me alone?' Emergency Medics were called.

9. September 4: Looked right into the security camera and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose.

10. September 10: While handling guns in the Sports department, he asked the clerk where the antidepressants were.

11. October 3: Darted around the Store suspiciously while loudly humming the ' Mission Impossible' theme.

12. October 6: In the auto department, he practiced his 'Madonna look' by using different sizes of funnels.

13. October 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, yelled 'PICK ME! PICK ME!'

14. October 22: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed the fetal position and screamed "OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!"

And last, but not least:

15. October 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile, and then yelled very loudly, "Hey! There's no toilet paper in here!" One of the Staff passed out.

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