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Hi folks Yes, it is still only Term One! We have all just been nominated by our minister to be superhuman....... NZ Curriculum, National Standards, Special Needs report requiring a consultation response this Friday...etc etc. It’s nice to think she has so much confidence in us that we can achieve so much in such a short time.....hrumph! I write this fresh from our Term One meeting, at which Joanne Allen, our new MoE area manager, was welcomed and bore the brunt of many frustrations very calmly. Joanne’s key message was that the MoE has been given very clear direction from the government to assess everything they do against its effectiveness to lift student achievement. A tall order indeed, considering they now have even less $$$$$ to play with. There go those deck chairs again...a new formation imminent I predict! If the MoE is genuinely interested in doing this, we look forward to much easier access to information and genuine support. I am just about to mention NS, so if you can’t stand any more, you had better stop reading now! (But if you do you will miss out on some useful stuff!) Thanks to the 40 or so of you who took time to respond to the survey last December. Interestingly the outcomes showed no clear trends. We had lower and higher decile school principals ‘for it’, ‘against it’ and ‘ambivalent’. Some are saying that NS are here, let’s just get on with it, others are saying it will be the end of education in NZ as we know it......so with that in mind, the WRPPA exec has decided to go with its constitutional intent and try to help you all by providing some opportunities for informed dialogue. To this end, the exec has arranged a morning with Lester Flockton, who has been busily compiling and analysing the information that has been coming from the government, and other sources, to try and get a handle on what is happening in the big picture. Lester will be at Silverstream Retreat on Wednesday 31 March from 9.00 to 12.00. Principals are invited to bring management staff with them to hear this information and participate in ensuing discussion. There is no cost for this. Please let me know asap that you wish to come and how many you intend to bring with you. This will be very interesting. We understand a principals group in Nelson came away very thoughtful from his presentation. It may give you a new perspective on the information you intend to share with your community around this thorny issue. Cluster Grants are up for grabs between now and April 19 (the 1st day of Term Two). While we received several grant applications at the end of last year, their purpose was more focussed on staff rather than principal development. So, the exec has revised the application form to make things a little clearer and we invite clusters of principals to apply. A cluster does not need to be geographical, it just needs to reflect a commonality of purpose and clearly be to advance principal skills and understandings. You can obtain a grant application form by e-mailing me (see below) or grabbing one off the WRPPA website. Grant applications can be up to $5 000, with our generous sponsors, ASB Bank, supporting to the tune of $2 500 and WRPPA matching this. Similarly, the Furnware/WRPPA Leadership Award is now available to apply for. This grant has seen a goodly number of principals explore their educational passion over the years. Last year Mike Farrelly was able to use the $10 000 grant to get to England and Europe to investigate the effective use of hand-held technology. He is now exploring possible applications back in little old New Zealand. The previous year I was fortunate enough to be able to travel to Michigan to see Glasser Quality Schools in action, accompanied by four staff members. This has set our school off on a highly rewarding voyage of discovery, one I am keen to get others on board with......perhaps an interested principals’ group could apply for a cluster grant to kick-start this....now there’s a thought! Contact me if you are interested. Applications for this significant award have opened. A form can be requested from me (see below again) or from the WRPPA website. Applications close at the end of April. Shortlisting will take place early May and the successful applicant will be announced at the next meeting on 26 May. Please note that this award stands alone from any other sabbaticals etc you may have received. It is quite okay to received both.........in fact, your mission of exploration while on sabbatical may well be able to be extended with a little financial support. Go for it! Remember that the WRPPA conference is planned for 21 & 22 October this year. Grab the diary and jot that in before the dates fill up with other ‘stuff’! The theme: Leaders Fly: Get on Board. It’s looking good already. Oh....and the NZPF conference in 2011 is in our area too, so diary 6-9 April 2011 while you are about it. Both NZPF and NZEI are indicating that interactions with government are going to continue to be extremely difficult for some time, particularly while the incumbent government remains ‘flavour of the month’. The talk is more about hanging on to what we’ve got rather than new and improved working conditions. Batten down the hatches, folks! We need a volunteer to attend two consultation meetings a year on WRPPA’s behalf with VUW, concerning teacher training and teacher professional development. Can anyone see themselves in that role? Please contact Jan Win on 478 7037. Who’s Where? John Young is off to Libya in August. Now that’s a bold choice of destination! A warm welcome to newbies to our area (in terms of permanent principal positions in some cases): Moira Howard (Birchville), Nicky Sturgeon (Brandon Internediate), Anne Lye (Churton Park), Paul Adamson (Fernridge), Hamish Davidson (Onslow), Sue McLachlan (Pirinoa) and Dairne Kaimoana (Titahi Bay Intermediate). Chris Bryant has been seconded to MoE for one day a week until June to do deep and meaningful things with charters etc. You may see his signature at the bottom of signoffs! A BIG thank you from Iosua Esera (Petone Central) for the wonderful support from schools and Furnware to fill a container bound for Samoa to restore a village school. Way to go, you good people! Want to change your life and get to know Glasser’s Choice Theory? A basic week for blokes is on from 12 – 15 April (2nd week of the holidays). Contact Barbara if you are interested. Our meeting dates for the rest of the year are:
That’s all folks Cheers Barbara Hay ps Did you see this Peanuts cartoon in the Dom Post the other day? You’ve gotta laugh or you’d cry!
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