Stop, Look & Listen!

 This time we wrote the lyrics together and because the Prefects suggested they had rather a lot on, they asked me just to "record it old school" so they could then get on and make the video. Cheeky eh!

What I found interesting is that the Shure Podcasting mic I'd bought for Zac Moran to use with his class podcast, Korero Pt England, was simply magic for a "down & dirty" but straight forward, quick and clean recording. I didn't plug guitar or mic into the midi interface, just played straight unplugged into my laptop through this single mic.

Enough audio information, enjoy our rangatahi's video!

Writing Moderation

 Funny! this is one of the real keys to our success in Writing and I've never written about it or talked about it in this context.

Each year we moderate writing across our cluster and the Manaiakalani R & D team then help this to ahppen across the 120 school Manaiakalani Network.

After moderating at cluster level, we com back and do this each in our own schools, with each teacher bringing 5 writing samples to the table, (preferably the "cuspy" ones) and then the whole staff moderate across all the levels.

This is a thoroughly valuable and quite fascinating exercise.

I can highly recommend it.

The narrated presentation below is the slide deck we use across the Manaiakalani Network and accreditation goes to Georgie, Naomi, Kiri and Janet for developing this over time along with our expert teachers.

Stop, Think & Do

 Each year I publish at least one of the music videos created by our Prefects to present to the school to teach or reinforce one of our values statements that contribute to "the Fa'a Pt England", The Pt England Way.

As always we co-wrote the lyrics, but this time used AI to create the melody. The Prefects, of course, shot and edited the whole thing.

See what you think!

Doing it all brilliantly with JOY in 2025!

 Here we are, kicking off the year again!

Happy New Year Everyone!

The crown priorities are really clear and we're committed to delivering on them to the very best of our ability. We will not waste time on controversy which does not lead to being calm and joyful, but will focus on being as up to date as possible with new mandated initiatives, as well as doing our best at what we know delivers best for our tauira.

I want us to focus on Joy and Creativity as being not some ephemeral feelings that are "nice to have" but solid values and practices that are essential for our children to do well.

So... here are our focii for 2025

And what do we do about Writing, or Why Blog?

 There's loads of controversy at the moment about the best way to teach Reading and Maths, -funny that no one is talking or fighting about Writing!

Manaiakalani has reached a juncture where the current Blogging Platform does not seem to be best fit for purpose. We've had enormous success with the improvement of Writing. 

I was asked to issue a provocation or motivation to the team of expert teachers who have been brought in from around the country to begin designing a bespoke Blogging type platform. 

The first question to ask must be "why blog"? The next question must be, "if we should, then what does it need to do"?

I'll leave you to make your own mind up, but here's my shot at motivating the teachers who have come to Auckland to begin discussing the design.

Doing the Basics Brilliantly

 The title here was given us by our Minister of Education, Minister Stanford. In this post I explore what means to do this for our tauira, our community and our people.

We must not lose sight of our heritage, our history, we must not ignore the things we are good and gifted at, and we must do the basics brilliantly.  What does this mean for Pt England, our people and our community? What does it mean for Manaiakalani?

Here are some thoughts on the subject. The challenge is enormous, but when did we ever let that put us off!

Retooling School AGAIN!

Everyone's talking about AI. Should we? Shouldn't we?

I'm going to pose the question: What happens to our kids if we don't?

This is where our own local history is SO important. Our beautiful children must not be the next generation of people who all lose their jobs because of the next new technology!

The following is my reminder to our staff of our history and the wero we must pick up to equip our young people to become capital building citizens who are bale to remain employed.

 

Inquiry in a time of Controversy

 Once again, it's my privilege to provoke the CoL Teachers into thinking deeply about their Inquiry, the state of education, the condition of their classroom and their learners.

The politics around education are fascinating at this time and there is concern expressed by many that "education is a political football". What I wish to stress, is that if we continue to follow evidence based Inquiry that informs Teacher Practice, we are safe from that concern.

We will honour crown priorities and we'll do it without chucking the baby out with the bath water.

Chuck it in the Bin!

 OK, this one's not a music video, but I really like the way the 2024 Prefects made this contribution to the Pt England Way, values set, that gets brought weekly to the school by it's student leaders.

See what you think?!

Beginning the Inquiry for 2024

 I elected not to begin the 2024 narrative with my usual intro to the year, but to follow on from where we left off, with the subject of Inquiry, my own, the school's and the teachers.

This was the "story starter" for Pt England Staff to get their Inquiries underway for 2024. Those who know me, will be able to tell that what you see and hear here, is very much the "long story short"! I bet my staff wished they got away from it this quickly!

Volunteers Thank-You Nov 2023

 Often at this time of year I post my End of Year Whānau Presentation. I decided that this one contained some interesting and different information as well some stats to celebrate

Thanks SO much to our approx. 100 volunteers who make so much of what we do for and with our beautiful tamariki possible!

Maths Call to Action

 Funny the things I get asked to do!

The Manaiakalani Roopu decided it was time to begin designing a Mathematics Practice Intensive to improve the way our teachers are teaching Maths. They gathered expert Maths teachers from across our network and asked me to deliver the provocation and expound the "why". 

The "why" wasn't hard, the hard bit was that they were all expert Maths teachers and I owuld not call myself that. I guess though, I am an known practitioner when it comes to Schooling Improvement, Inquiry and Design, so what I could do is apply Inquiry logic to the task.

I hope I did an OK job!

Teacher Inquiry into Practice

 I was given the task of issuing a "provocation" to our Kahui Ako teachers, on the subject of teacher Inquiry into Practice. I decided to go back to basics in this year of "doing the basics" really well, and as well as giving reminders, be really straight forward about what we're trying to achieve

Making Videos with Rangatahi again!

 Those of you who know me, know what kick I get out of writing songs and making music videos with groups of children.

This group (our 2023 Prefects) have quirky humour, have helped compose a great song and have contributed to our school values; -The Pt England Way. Enjoy!

Great News in March

 I'm delighted to share this news.

We've come through COVID and we've come through floods and our children haven't gone backwards academically!

Congratulations to all teachers, support staff, whānau and others who have contributed to this result.

Kicking off 2023

 The year we thought was going to be the first "normal" one in ages, began with floods.

More anxiety; -a new kind; -"Weather Anxiety". The first time we had ever experienced a simultaneous civil defense text out to all citizens of Auckland. Whānau rushed across the city to pick up their tamariki, many arriving in a heightened state. We had to invent new procedures for how to dismiss children safely as although we'd learned to manage lock downs really well, we'd never had every parent receive the same message on their phones at the same time, causing them to descend on the school all at once.

We did well. ..And of course we re-wrote some of policy and procedure!

The water rose and then stopped at our doorsills. We were blessed, others not so fortunate.

The recorded presentation below was my shot at guiding the staff into what we all thought mattered most as we kicked off another unusual year!

Focus for 2023

Manaiakalani Film Festival - Give It A Go!

During Term 3, 2022 I worked with 9 wonderful singers, songwriters, videographers, directors and editors.

I am very proud to tell you all, that with a little guidance and support from me, these gifted tauira created this song and music video and did the hard yards themselves.

Our song is about the importance of stepping up, putting your self in an uncomfortable space and having a jolly good go.

I'm happy to tell you that that's exactly what these tauira did and they have jointly modelled exactly what their creativity speaks to.

Well done Team, I'm extremely proud of you all!

Deep Dive into Reading 2020

During 2019, Dr Aaron Wilson of Woolf Fisher Research Centre, challenged all the Manaiakalani Schools to have "a relentless focus on Reading". Pt England School is picking up that wero, though we all believe we still have to work very hard on Mathematics.

The screen record below is the introduction to my own inquiry for 2020, which is focused on how to help all our teacher to build capability in the area of teaching children to read.

The Fa'a Pt England & 2020 Focus

 Our consultation and korero with our community at the end of 2019 and leading into 2020, sharpened our focus on what we need to achieve and how we need to achieve it. Having ERO review our performance in 2019 forced us to re-examine some of our beliefs and our kaupapa that we have brought forward from the past. This exercise made us realise that we needed to revisit these things with our staff and reinvigorate some of our highly valued beliefs and ways of doing things. This brief screen record presents the 'big ticket' items we expect to focus on in 2020 and places particular emphasis on our decision to reinvigorate the "Pt England Way" or the "Fa'a Pt England".

Finish if Off Properly

"Finish it Off Properly" is one of the Pt England "korero" or sayings that are part of the "Fa'a Pt England" or the Pt England Way.

This final post for 2019, contains the presentation we bring to our parent body to bring them "early cut" end of year data and ask them what they would like us to include in their children's learning and education for the ensuing year.

The information gathered at this hui goes to the December Board Meeting and is included in the Annual Plan for the next year.

For me personally, this wonderful and warm occasion came at the culmination of a very successful year, when we had achieved a marvellous Education Review Office report, seen high performance across a number of domains and seen real growth of leadership across the school. This occasion also came (for me) after serious surgery, subsequent recovery and the joy of seeing our Pt England Team flourish and grow in my absence.

Special thanks goes to Kent Somerville who steered the ship while I was away and did such a wonderful job of it. I'm exceedingly grateful to the whole team, our learners, their whanau, our fantastic Board of Trustees and as always to God, for a great year and for my own part, a strong recovery to health and work.

Apologies that there are no blog posts for September, October, November. You now know what was going on in my life!
Merry Christmas and have a blessed holiday break with whanau!