HPS Interactive Workshop

On 17th June I was fortunate to attend a workshop to learn about "How to significantly improve outcomes for Maori, Pasifika and minoritised students in our school community. This workshop was led by two  motivating and thought-provoking facilitators: Laurayne Tafa and Clayton Wikaira. The aim of this workshop was to support your thinking around the issues, challenge and confront current practices and explanations, while providing researched responses.
We looked at a key question: "How can we improve student engagement in driving their own learning and improving academic outcomes?" In school community groups we worked together on a puzzle of practice to gain clarity on our school's current engagement priorities and practices. How do we as school's get student and community engagement in learning and academic achievement? What works and why it works.Together with teaching professionals from other local schools we sorted our ideas about community/ whanau/ student engagement into a needs/strengths/challenges/opportunities format. It was interesting to see that many of  the needs and challenges were similar  across schools.
Key Ideas to come from this activity were: Do the activities/strategies we put into place as a school to get whanau and community engagement really achieve that goal. We need to get parent's voice/ feedback i.e. after parent interviews have designated staff to ask parents questions such as 'What were you hoping to get out of the interview? How did you find it?  Schools need to do some critical reflection about what community activities they organise- what is the learning /purpose behind it, will it achieve what we want it to or are we doing this activity because its what the school has always done? From 'Ka Hikitea'- voices are critical and catalysts for change- ask students and parents the  right questions. Give parents the clear and specific information so they can understand what they need to do to support their child with their next steps in learning.
From the latest research and findings by Russell Bishop (Te Kotahitanga and Culture Counts): What makes the biggest difference- Relationship and high pedagogical knowledge! The teacher-pupil relationship and teacher- parent relationship is key. The teacher who cares and nutures, has high expectations, manages the classroom and behaviour, creates spaces for learning to happen and allows for purposeful learning talk.An authentic curriculum for students to relate to and catapault off from.
Have a shared vision of excellence in the classroom and across the school.
Use impact coaches and classroom observation checklist (Te Kotahitanga), co-construction meetings with staff, build teacher's ability to hold professional learning conversations with parents and students, support teaches to upskill with regular focussed PD - use data to inform areas of greatest need, watch video- 'Anjali's story' at staff meeting to discuss how one teacher's shift in teaching philosophy had a big impact on her student's learning and relationships with her students.

Health Promoting Schools Cluster Meeting

As Leaders of the HPS(Health Promoting Schools) team at our school, Whaea Linda and myself attended the Whakatane HPS cluster meeting at Whakatane Hospital conference room on Friday 27th March.  The meeting was led by Carl Cowley and other members of the  HPS school  co-ordinators team.
Number one on the agenda:we  viewed and discussed the 'New and Improved HPS Toolkit' which is the new national school-community health and well-being self-review tool  based on the Ministry's health and wellbeing indicators. The process supports school communities to identify their strengths, and address their health, wellbeing and education priorities. At James Street School the HPS team has used the toolkit and completed the self-review tool using our 2014 findings ,progress indicators, community surveys and staff feedback. We were able to use the completed self-review tool to discuss future focus areas for Health and well-being in our school context and to support other Whakatane school HPS leaders with the process of filling out the self-review tool.
Number two on the agenda:we had an opportunity to log on to the Heart Foundations new free web-based programme for schools. We were introduced to the Lesson Plans and teaching resources available at the different primary/intermediate levels. This is an excellent web-site and of real value to teachers when planning Hauora units. The Unit plans include Te Reo vocab and tikanga as well as links to other curriculum areas. Linda and I thought it would be good if we were able to share this website with teachers back at school during syndicate meetings.
Number three on the agenda: The head public health nurse shared with us about a new skin infection campaign they have started. She shared resources such as posters and phamphlets that are available for schools and to include with school newsletters to inform parents.
Number four on the agenda: The new Regional Obesity Intervention Project. We viewed a video, that had recently screened on T.V,  where a GP outlined the seriousness of the sugar uptake in young chn/teens  and the links to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay. The aims of the new project were discussed and as a group we talked about ways we could help combat this urgent problem in our own school communities such as educating  parents about healthy options for food and drink, making it school policy that students can't bring takeaways/fizzy or energy drinks to school, Educating our students to read the ingredients,sugar content of food and drinks so that they make informed choice about what the purchase to eat and drink.

My First Label Post

This is my first post to create RTC labels for my postings