​Kia Ora


I'm sure that you are all glad to be back into it at school rather than working from the kitchen table. It is certainly great to see students again and I'm really impressed by the way they have literally bounced back into the classes.

I have been working and meeting with ASTs and we have agreed that it is important that we give space to Principals and teachers to settle back into routines and deal with the challenges of COVID 19 without a layer of expectation from us. I have also met LSCs as a group and some individually and this has been really useful as well.

Lead Team Mahi: We have been working on the Achievement Challenge Plan. This involved reviewing the Kāhui work so far and setting the challenges moving forward. The next step for this live document is to be reviewed further by the Principal’s at our hui in week 8 prior to submission to the ministry. As part of this work, we have created a one-page organisational flow chart. We believe this will clarify the Kāhui focus. This will be shared at the hui. 
AST Mahi: The AST’s are undertaking an Inquiry and have asked WST’s to collect data regarding Distance Learning at Level 3 & 4. The intent is to;

• Capture effective teaching strategies in order to reflect and to promote their continued use in the classrooms; and
• To look at levels of engagement and what were the enabler and barriers; and
• Finally, to look at the equity of experiences. 

AST’s hope to share their findings back to schools in the next few weeks. 
WST Mahi: Over the next week WST’s are gathering up any data that leadership or teams may have already collected (or are in the process of collecting), relating to the Distance Learning Inquiry. 

So, there are things happening and although we postponed the ToD we feel that we can make some really positive steps as we emerge from this difficult time in education.

Thanks for all your work and will catch up soon.


Nga mihi

John Prestidge

Get those responses in. Link here- ​https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc4eDdzJU5osIPb-NDm6gY9QruecLM_WC0f62L5Biwj072edw/viewform?usp=sf_link

​Kia Ora WST’s and staff teams,

We would like like to update you all on the structure of PLG groups for 2020. We have listened carefully to your feedback and are giving you an opportunity to work in a PLG group that suits your professional learning needs and ties in with a focus or goal related to a strategic aim.

In other words, you get to make the PLG group work for you. We acknowledge that there are some groups who would like to continue working together on a shared focus and that is also a possibility.

In order to do this, we need some information from you. In this email there is a link to a Google form to collect information about possible topics for new groups. Principals have identified three broad headings that groups will fall under;
1. Effective Teaching to the Nth East 
2. Coherent pathways - effective transitions within and across schools
3. Localised curriculum - recognising schools within our Kahui are unique

Some ideas that might start you thinking about group ideas;

1. Effective Teaching to the Nth East:
Effective strategies for engagement.
Goals setting in the classroom
Leading a team to the Nth East

2. Coherent pathways - effective transitions within and across schools:
Aligning technology between primary and secondary
Leading schools to communicate effectively about students
Maths across the Kāhui

3. Localised curriculum - recognising schools within our Kahui are unique:
Whaikōrero for leaders
Art collaboration across the Kāhui
Using local stories in the classroom

Please discuss your ideas and fill in the following form by Wednesday the 18th of March. 

https://forms.gle/bartiR9av13997yf7

WST’s, we will provide you with access to the responses so that you can follow up a reply from everyone in your school context.

Nga mihi, mauri ora
The AST team,
Struan, Vicki and Heidi

Kia Ora, and I hope 2020 has started in awesome fashion.

The start of this year sees a significant transition from our existing/expiring Achievement Challenge Plan to a revised one. The work on this started last year and will be the major focus of meetings early this term. It is intended that we now look to embed RBL and Impact Coaching as a sustainable and consistent way of doing things in all of our schools and start to pick out aspects and inquiries that are more specific to schools and groups across schools. What this means for teachers is that we will grow our Impact Coaching resource and also look to make an application for funding to train some teachers to be accredited to train more Impact Coaches, giving us sustainability moving forward. This PL will not involve every teacher at every school and could be quite a small group.

Something that will apply to all teachers is the continuation of PLGs. In the first term these will happen in the week 24-28 Feb and there will be two clear objectives for these PLGs.

1. Each teacher to review where they are at in terms of the RBL, share things that you've tried and worked (or not) and think about what more PL or support you might need
2. Plan for and set up an Impact Coaching session, maybe even linking this to what you identified in 1. WSTs will then check in with you at your school to see if you need support getting that Impact Coaching underway. 

This is likely to be the last PLG meeting cycle in these groups. Future PLGs will have a range of different foci and more will be sent out about that as we move through the term. If you are training to be an Impact Coach or are involved in your school's Guiding Coalition there will be other hui in the Wānanga Week (24-28 Feb).  If you are not in those groups it will just be the PLGs and possibly school based meetings. 

The only regional PL that the Kahui Ako is applying for at this stage will be for the work on creating Impact Coach Accreditors.  We are looking to organise a multi-workshop ToD in Term Two and there will be more details around this in the next few weeks.

Until then, the sun is shining, maybe even too frequently, tauira are all over our various schools doing various things and we are a week in already!

Nga mihi 

John

Tukutuku Wero:
Our work is nearly completed.
We would love to have the group together FRIDAY 20th December at 4pm. 
- At this time the children will chat about their work, and the stories they will share about the creation.
The group will move to the Marae for the presentation of the art piece. Principals and parents are then invited to join the 6pm at the Marae for a powhiri and the presentation. We would love to have you all there to thank everyone for the effort and ideas that have contributed to this work.

Kia Ora Motueka Kāhui Ako whānau,

Wānanga Week in Term 4 was our 4th and final for the year. This time the focus was on building our Impact Coaching capabilities. Coaches were given the opportunity to fishbowl their coaching practice and received support and Feedback/Forward from an individual Cognition Facilitator. Reflecting on our strengths and next steps as coaches was a valuable process.

Coaches also worked together to use the data being collected from our Impact Coaching Conversations. A number of schools have now coached all of their staff at least once and have more coaching planned for the remainder of the term. It's exciting to see this process being embedded in most of our schools.

A second focus was on strengthening our PLG's. Following the collection of teacher voice after two full PLG meetings, PLG leaders reviewed the data. It was pleasing to see that a majority of teachers felt the PLG's were effective in forming new relationships, and over half of the groups had already seen some benefit to their RBL learning. However, the voice acknowledged that after two meetings this was in its early stages. Cognition facilitated a robust discussion looking at suggestions for improvement and alternate models. It was decided that the original PLG leaders would have overall responsibility for communication, arranging meetings and providing a clear focus and agenda. Minutes will be shared with an AST to provide a picture of progress across the Kāhui Ako. Groups are encouraged to find a meeting time that suits all members. In Term 1 2020, groupings will be updated to accommodate staff movements. There will be ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the PLG's moving forward.

During the Wānanga week there were also 101 & 102 Impact coaching sessions. Great to see new people taking on this challenge and growing the skills beyond our WST team.

At this time of year it's an ideal time to reflect on progress around RBL in your schools. Our challenge to you all is to engage with Impact Coaching. It's a great opportunity to reflect on your teaching practice and to theorise about your next steps in a supported way. 

We wish everyone the smoothest final few weeks possible. Look after yourselves and celebrate the amazing teaching and learning for 2019. If you are looking for some holiday reading (?) we suggest Russell Bishop's Teaching To The North East.


​

It's hard to believe that another year has nearly gone. Term 3 was incredibly busy and saw many schools really getting underway with their Impact Coaching. More coaches were accredited and still more started their coaching journey at the Wānanga Week held at St Peter Chanel School. A successful moderation meeting, looking at e-asTTle writing, was also a positive step towards ensuring our Kāhui ako data is both robust and comparable. 

At the end of the term the new KA Lead and ASTs were appointed. Congratulations to John Prestidge (Lead 2020), Heidi Trott (AST commencing Term 4) and Struan McKenzie (AST 2020). We are so lucky to have such strong replacements.

Time here for a thank you to Emma Ryder (AST) for all her hard work. Her honesty, warmth and ability to see and promote the positive were strong attributes and I know her schools will miss her regular contact. Vicki K and Vicki M will also miss her genuine passion for this Kāhui Ako, this place so close to her heart.

This term there is no let up! In Week 2 there is a WST Meeting at Lower Moutere on Wednesday and a Principals' Lead meeting on Thursday at MHS.

Week 4 sees the Wānanga Week take place at MHS. As well as Impact Coaching sessions and PLG leadership sessions, we all have the opportunity to receive support with our Impact Coaching. ​​'Fish bowl' sessions with an expert facilitator are a fantastic opportunity to get one to one feedback and feed-forward in real time.  Possibly a bit scary but really helpful for our learning journey. Guiding Coalition sessions are also available for individual schools as they start to look forward to their on-going work next year.

A second moderation meeting for e-asTTle writing and the return of the Maths Hui are also in the pipeline. Details to come.

Time for one last push before the Christmas break. He waka eke noa. We are all in this together. 

Motueka is humming this term with all  teachers from all schools participating in Professional Learning Groups to strengthen and support great practice based on the RbL profile.
Wānanga week was held in week 4, with the first lot of Impact coaches becoming accredited!  Congratulations to everyone who is taking on this challenge- and to those already opting in to be 'Impact Coached' within their own schools. 
Louise, Whetuu, Raewyn and Laurayne from Cognition met individually with Guiding Coalitions to further build on school goals and next steps. 
​As Impact coaching starts to happen throughout our Kāhui, the RbL profile and practices will really be at the forefront- illuminating and honing teaching practice that lifts all student achievement.  
Exciting times!