Kimberley "Good Liyan" for Melbourne Principals

"..It's hard not to come away.....with anything but admiration for these strong, spirited, dedicated women who made a home in the remote region and were embraced by the community there." The ABC online review of the documentary Sisters, Pearls, and Mission Girls is referring to the Irish and Australian Sisters of St John of God who sailed from Perth in 1907 to the remote Kimberley coast in the far North West of Australia and founded the Beagle Bay Mission.

This year marks the Centenary Celebrations of the Sacred Heart Church also known as the Mother of Pearl Church in Beagle Bay. The artwork of the church is unique to the Kimberley region represented by mother of pearl inlays, Aboriginal designs, Christian symbols and European mosaic techniques.

Mother of pearl inlays in the altar, Sacred Heart Church, Beagle Bay

Today, there are only two Sisters of St John of God. Twenty principals from the South Eastern Principal's Network of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, were fortunate to learn about education in the Kimberley from one very humble woman born in the Kimberley area, Sister Pat Rhatigan AO SSJG.

Our travels took us from Broome to Cape Leveque (image from en.wikipedia.org)

Before we met Sister Pat, at the Sisters of St John of God Heritage Centre in Broome, we were welcomed by Erica Bernard with a smoking ceremony. Erica is the Community Liaison Officer for the Broome Catholic Office. Erica explained that the smoking ceremony, gifted to her by her elders, cleansed the way, to keep us safe during our stay. Erica asked us to open our hearts, eyes and ears as we felt the smoke make our whole being stronger and provide us with "good liyan" (for the Yawuru people "liyan" represents emotional strength, dignity, pride and well being).

Erica Bernard, Community Liaison Officer for the Broome Catholic Education Office welcomes us with open arms on behalf  of elders.

The inspiring woman, who helped us to understand the "good liyan" was Sister Pat. Sister Pat's first words to us were that she had a good news story to share. However, we came to realise, that the dedicated work of this very modest nun was a good news story in itself. Sister Pat's invaluable personal contribution during the past sixty years as a Sister of St John of God cannot be overlooked.

Sister Pat was recognised as Western Australian Senior of the Year in 2007 and received the Order of Australia in 2008. This award recognised Sister Pat's educational endeavours with Aboriginal people by ensuring the history, culture and religion of the Aboriginal people were part of mainstream studies. Among many initiatives, Sister Pat facilitated the opening of several Catholic schools, ensured Aboriginal Teaching Assistants received suitable training, established the Broome Campus of the Notre Dame University and the Broome Catholic Education Office. Today, Sister Pat, a passionate educator, curator and researcher, shares the rich history of the Kimberley region. Sister Pat coordinates staff and volunteers to support locals and visitors to reconnect with their family history through the 60,000 photos in the archives and gallery open to the public as part of the permanent Relationships Exhibition at the Heritage Centre.

May 2018 Newsletter, Sisters of St John of God Heritage Centre

During our stay in Broome, we visited several of the Catholic schools in the Kimberley. While visiting the schools, we met with passionate teachers and leaders all wishing to ensure that the children experience rich, diverse and personalised learning opportunities amidst the challenges of climate, culture, distance, isolation and limited resources. 

At some of the schools, we coincidently crossed paths with the school photographer taking the annual class photos. We saw the smiling faces of children standing in rows beside dedicated members of staff. Having seen the faded images of the sisters from the past standing beside the children in the Relationships Exhibition, one could sense the remarkable transition over the years from the early missionaries, to the religious to the lay persons of today. Through passages of time, passionate practitioners meet the needs of the communities across the remote Kimberley region. Our respect for the present day staff of the schools in the Kimberley region is comparable to the work of the pioneers and the sisters who went before them. 

As leaders of Catholic schools today, we have a responsibility to carry on the work of our forebears to ensure Catholic education remains a beacon of excellence within our schools. We have challenges unique to our individual school communities but as Sister Pat reminds us, we need to work with our challenges and with each other to overcome problems in new ways.
"We need big dreamers, leaders, movers and shakers" and  " We need to respond to the needs of the people of the time" (Sister Pat Rhatigan, 2018).

Just as Sister Pat forged ahead to ensure educational equality for the Aboriginal people of the Kimberley and supported the healing and acknowledgement of past wrongs, we too can contribute. We can encourage and prepare staff to venture to the Kimberley and other remote areas of Australia to support the continuation of this educational mission. Closer to home, we can work to enhance the life and protect the rights of every child and person who is created in the image and likeness of God within our schools today.

Erica and Sister Pat at the campfire used for the Land, Fire and Water Closing Prayer

"Light of the world ! Salt of the earth !

Be for the world the face of love!

Be for the earth the reflection of his light !"

Pope John Paul II (taken from the Closing Prayer led by Erica Bernard).

Special thanks to Richard Hodgson and his wife Sue who planned and coordinated this remarkable principal conference as an opportunity for Melbourne Principals to truly experience the Kimberley "good liyan".

Here is a video reflection from the trip.

Connect & collaborate, change 2 flourish

Prolific frond growth on a tree fern in Whitehorse Road, Balwyn.

While I was enjoying the sunshine on an early morning walk, I came across some beautiful tree ferns. There were fresh new fronds emerging prolifically from the heart of the ferns. Seeing these fern fronds was very coincidental. I have spent quite some time working on this redesigned blog site with the image of a fern frond as part of the change 2 flourish logo.

Change has always been a constant in both my personal and professional life. For some of us sometimes, change can be daunting. But just as the fern fronds unfurl and flourish, embracing change can help us to open our lives to imminent new possibilities, as we strive to be the best we can be, and live our lives to the fullest.

"The unfurling frond of the Koru (Maori for spiral) fern, symbolizes the spirit of peace, hope, growth and a return to your beginnings, and the way in which life both change and rejuvenates, while the inner coil of one's beginnings, stays the same". Rosemary Burke spoke these words in front of a congregation of students, families, colleagues, friends and parishioners, as she presented me with a pounamu (Maori name for greenstone) carved pendant at my farewell mass in New Zealand. The Koru fern is representative of change in the living world. Change in nature appears natural, simple and uncomplicated. Change is necessary for survival (Wheatley, 2006).

Rosemary Burke and Fr Wayne Healey presenting me with the pounamu pendant.

My taonga (Maori for treasure).

I am about to start a new principalship in Melbourne. This means change for me and also change for the children, staff and families at St Patrick's Primary School in Murrumbeena. I am looking forward to supporting the community, as we revisit the school's vision and collaboratively develop a plan for our future actions to enable all of us to continue to grow and flourish.

Our St Patrick's visioning session will follow a similar approach to the OSCPPA Visioning Day and the NZCPPA Visioning Days. You can learn more by going to the links.

This session is a one hundred minute opportunity for all staff to reflect and contribute to future plans for their school. Student, parents and parish community members will also get a chance to contribute during the coming weeks.
It's important to take a little time before we meet to read and reflect on some valuable documents that will guide our thinking.
Documents to consider as we move forward :
- Existing St Patrick's Vision Statement. 
- School Improvement Plan 2016-2019.
- 2016 Annual Action Plan. 

I am looking forward with anticipation and eagerness to working with the St Patrick's community.

The unfurling frond of the Koru fern symbolises creation and the way in which life both changes and stays the same. We have a great capacity for change and working with change can help us become more of who we want to be (Wheatley, 2016).

Developing this shared site to support the growth of collaborative and connected leadership for change will connect leadership to vision and enable change 2 flourish.

Principals receive a warm welcome in Taupo

The newly designed logo for the school.

                                                                                         

The New Zealand Catholic Primary Principal's Association (NZCPPA) Executive members visited St Patrick's school in Taupo during their Term 1 meeting days in March. Thanks to Danny Nichols, the principal of St Patrick's, for opening up his school to us all. 
Michael Mokai the outgoing president of the NZCPPA Executive gave a heartfelt response to the tamariki after they welcomed the group with a moving waiata and kapahaka performance.

After celebrating mass with the local parishioners, the principals joined the staff for morning tea and toured the school.
Here are a some photos from the visit.
                                            

Are you ready for the 2016 school year ? 5 key reminders

In 2014, we began to share our learning, news and events digitally. In 2015, we transformed our learning spaces (Engaging Learning Spaces ELS learn more here) to reflect our school wide goal: To engage every student in deep learning for success. We continued to share our learning via blogs and a dedicated Teaching and Learning Site.

Our popular weekly school newsblog has had over 45,000 views from learners, families and interested visitors across the world.

We also welcomed over one hundred visitors to our school in 2015. Principals and teachers from across the South Island described our students as "...engaged and connected learners who could speak confidently about their learning". You can learn more about 2015 and next steps for 2016 at this link.

We received a glowing Catholic review report. You can learn more at this link. We are committed to continuing to keep Christ at the heart of all we do at St Joseph's as we strive to honour the reason for the existence of our Catholic schools.

Here are 5 key reminders for the 2016 new school year:

1. School starts back on Monday 1st February. The uniform shop will be open on Wednesday 27th January and Friday 29th January from 9:15-12:30pm. It will also be open on Monday 1st February from 8:30-9:00. Thanks Adele for being available. 

2. Our 2016 stationery lists can be ordered online through Office Max or take the list to our local Paper Plus or Warehouse store and collect what you need. 

3. The Home & School with funding support from the board and the Otago Community Trust are generously upgrading the hall kitchen. There will be no school canteen in Term 1. Lunch options will be shared with you next week. Children will need to bring their own lunches during the first week of term.

4. On Thursday 4th February at 9:15am there will be a welcome back school mass followed by the presentation of badges to our Year 8 leaders in St Patrick's Basilica. All parents and friends are welcome to join us.

5. Our dedicated  'Teaching and Learning Site' will be updated and ready to go for 2016 before the new school year begins. You can check what's happening in the first week of the term by going to the section for your child's year group at 5pm on Sunday 31st January. Take some time to help prepare your child for school by discussing the learning together.

Thanks to our board who have funded the installation of three air conditioning units for the upstairs ELS. These will help to provide some much needed cool air for our Senior Hub 2 learners and staff.

At the request of the School Council, the board have also funded a new water fountain where drink bottles can be easily filled up. A new uniform shop is also under construction and we are waiting for the new basketball hoops to arrive.

Thanks to all of our staff including cleaners, caretakers and office staff who have spent time preparing our school to officially welcome you back on Monday.

Please contact us if you have any questions, worries or concerns by emailing office@stjoseph.school.nz or jjackson@stjoseph.school.nz or by ringing 03 4348856. Like us on our school Facebook page St Joseph's Oamaru or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can also check up on any information on our newsblog or school website and download the PTC calendar app on your phone.

We look forward to welcoming you all back to St Joseph's for the 2016 school year as we continue to Reach for the Stars as Lifelong Learners in the Catholic Faith.

Are you aspiring to be authentic teachers and leaders ?

Authenticity is something we should all be aspiring towards. It is summed up very well in this leadership definition from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authentic_leadership

How do we promote openness in our workplace and build honest relationships with everyone we are connected too ?
I was privileged to be able to present a seminar with Lorraine Francis Rees (Principal of St Joseph's, Pleasant Point) at the recent Catholic Convention in Wellington. Although the presentation is based around authentic Catholic leadership, much of the content is applicable to all teachers and leaders aspiring towards authenticity.
Lorraine and I planned the synopsis for the presentation in 2014 when Lorraine was Deputy Principal at our school in Oamaru. 

Lorraine started her her new principalship eight weeks ago. Yet we still managed to make time to meet and prepare our presentation. Special thanks to Anne Pratt, the principal of St Patrick's school, Waimate (half way between Oamaru and Pleasant Point) for letting us use her office for one of our planning sessions.
Initially sixty-five people had registered to attend our seminar. On the day, our venue filled to about one hundred attendees.
Here is the google presentation. Just click on the arrows and you should be able to view the slides. There are some You Tube videos embedded as well. 
This presentation encompasses as much as we could fit within our sixty minute timeframe. It is just a taster of what happens at St Joseph's in Oamaru. For those of you wanting more detail, I have shared my notes from a selection of the slides below.




Slide 1: Aspiring towards authentic Catholic leadership. This presentation brings together our understandings based on our practice and studies as leaders in our Catholic system focussed on Christ centred growth. Our studies have made us reflect deeply on our authenticity as leaders in Catholic schools. Pope Francis says,“I am a living mission”, so are we. We are Jesus’ hands, mouths and feet in our Catholic schools. We must WALK the TALK and bring the scripture to life through our everyday actions and relationships.Good leaders helps build vibrant faith communities that help build the Kingdom of God by using Jesus as the ultimate model of leadership.

Slide 2:

It's our responsibility to keep Christ at the centre, we need to hold on to the Holy Spirit that is within our hearts. As Catholic leaders we work within the framework of :
Bible - Message from Vatican synod 2008…Bring the joy of the gospel into the lives of families.….so that parents and children read it, pray with it….listen with love and faith.
Handbook for Catholic Integrated Schools - our legal requirements and integration agreements.
Catholic Review Indicators - “...that the Catholic character is protected and promoted” - continual self-review (eg. refers to restorative practices for behavioural management ).
The Catholic Education of School Age Children - The introduction from the bishops “indispensable reference point… highlights challenges for all of us...".
No-one else in our schools will be checking these documents - it is our responsibility as leaders to bring them to life and work within their framework, keeping Christ at the centre.

Slide 3:

We must also have a 'growth mindset' towards our Catholicity and develop our theological knowledge and spiritual leadership skills
We have high expectations of success for our learners, we must be role models and set the same high standards for ourselves as part of our commitment as educators in Catholic schools.
This requires strong Catholic leadership and is especially challenging when New Zealand is one of the most secular countries in the world. A vital part of a Catholic principal’s ministry is to ensure that there are potentially qualified future Catholic leaders nurtured in an environment that truly reflects the church’s mission (Swanson, 2012).

 Slide 4 - 8 Images of Jesus the perfect role model for aspiring leaders.

Slide 9:

Active evangelisation is the essence of what we are called to do, as an “out-reaching church”. It is a sacred responsibility explicit in the purpose of our Catholic Schools. It is a task that is both richly rewarding and demanding. It is about “planting seeds”, recognising opportunities, nurturing possibilities, transforming lives, rekindling fervour and the privilege of “walking with” as we each journey in our human quest for wholeness.
In the day to day today busyness and business, we must come back to our Christ-centred framework. We must continually push ourselves out of our comfort zones within our faith.
Make a sacred space, create the silence to let go and let God in.

Slide 10:

We need to “connect to the minds, hearts and souls (spirits) of others” (Duignan, 2008).
Walking into school in week eleven of a term after a ten week sabbatical, I connected with the end of term tiredness, stress and busyness. It was time to calm the seas. I gave staff a sabbatical space from all meetings in Term 2, 2014. I wanted staff to feel the passion, enthusiasm, engagement and creativity that I discovered during my sabbatical. I wanted to expose the gifts and talents of students, staff and whanau. Allowing space and time for these to flourish, lead to innovation.
Lorraine wrote in an article we published in the Aoraki magazine, “From what has happened on our sabbatical so far, the religious sense of creating a holy space for renewal is now so much stronger. Not only have we rested but it feels like we have re-connected with our source – God, the Holy Spirit, inspiring us”.

Slide 11:

Our charter curriculum goal developed from every child in 2011 to encompass every learner (staff and parents) in 2012 and included engagement in DEEP learning (2014) as well as a reminder to embrace our Catholic Faith (2015). We need to live our vision. How do we bring deep engagement in learning alive through Religious Education (RE) and our Catholic
faith ?

Slides 12-14: Student driven open-ended curriculum, effective pedagogy and SOLO taxonomy used in RE.

Slide 15:

Going OPEN - We are open to sharing with other schools. This is a way for outreach. I learnt about going open during my sabbatical through reading "Open, how we will work, live and learn in the future" by David Price. I have written several reviews of chapters from this book on my blog. We are OPEN. There is total transparency with no hidden agendas. This enables us to reach out and connect with the school and wider community. We model transparency through our own actions as leaders with our own blogs, videos and prezis. If we expect our students to engage in these modes of learning then we must be prepared to do the same. We connect with our community in ways that reflect our goal to engage in deep learning for success.

Slide 16:

The teaching and learning site is our one stop public teaching and learning site. Everyone has access to everything connected to learning at St Joseph's. We are truly open. Teachers have their weekly planning on the site by 5pm on a Sunday ready for the new week. Families can access weekly goals and prepare for the week.

Slide 21:

We are also OPEN to our own personal faith development. We created a sacred space for personal and spiritual growth and development. In Term 2, 2015 in response to staff study needs we postponed staff meetings. We gave staff time to work on their RE study papers as well as gave them RE Study Time (REST). They have one day release per paper to enable quality time towards completing their assessment and to recognise their existing workload. We must continually push ourselves out of our comfort zones within our own faith development. "Good leadership develops and transforms those who are being led " (Swanson 2012).

Slide 22: Images of inclusivity. Slide 23: Parish Involvement

Slide 24: Learner agency - students and staff designed engaging learning spaces. Family Learning huis - families are immersed in an informal, social environment to engage with modern learning practices.

Slide 25: Images of an authentic leader in action today - Pope Francis. Acknowledgement goes to Christopher M. Branson, Professor of Educational Leadership Faculty of Education University of Waikato Hamilton New Zealand for use of these images from EDLE 641 Values and Leadership.

Slide 26: Final slide was a reflection - John 15:12-17 Love one another as I love you.
Extra slides-
Slides 27-31: Links to SOLO, e-learning, inquiry links modern pedagogy and RE
Slide 32:

A video that explains how the students have agency and collaborate. This was part of a presentation by the Year 8 students to St Kevin's College high school staff.






Slide 33: Links to parent education and agency examples. A video sharing engagement in deep learning as students share their learning with the community.

Authentic leaders create transparent, trusting environments where everyone is supported to share their gifts and talents and shine.

 
In our Catholic schools, this happens within the sacred space of an agentic, inclusive and collaborative culture with Christ at the centre of all that we do.

Are you ready for the new school term ? 5 key reminders

I was fortunate to go to a stunning performance of Aladdin in the Ink Box at the Opera House last night. Congratulations to the whole cast of Aladdin especially our talented team from St Joseph's.

Last term we went OPEN with our teaching and learning at St Joseph's. Our Teaching and Learning Site went live and our ELS's (Engaging Learning Spaces) have continued to evolve. Our school wide goal is "To engage every student in deep learning for success". We do this in our Catholic faith-filled  environment as we "Reach for the Stars as Lifelong Learners in the Catholic Faith". We focus on our school values, the 4 R's: Respect, Reverence, Resilience and good Relationships. This is what we keep coming back to as we continually create a learning culture with our students and families that reflects the needs of our community. 

Are you ready for the new term ? 5 key reminders:

1. Winter uniform - It's time to change into the winter uniform for Terms 2 and 3. As an outcome of our last survey, children from Year 1- 6 are no longer expected to wear ties. Our leaders in Year 7 & 8 will keep the ties to support their transition to high school. We have some winter shirts in our uniform shop. I will be at school for some time on Sunday 19th April. Text me 0272031516 if you need access to a shirt for Monday morning. Otherwise, the lovely Adele will open the shop on Monday morning 20th April. 

2. Teaching and Learning Site and a Parent Forum on Learning Conversations - This is a chance for you as parents to become involved in your children's learning. The old days of asking "What did you learn at school today ?" have been flipped. Your son or daughter might reply with " Haven't you checked our Teaching and Learning site ?" Our teaching and learning is totally transparent now. Take advantage of this and challenge your children to develop their learning further by having informed "learning" conversations with them. At the first parent forum this term I will share how to have a learning conversation based on the Teaching and Learning site. Join me from 8:30 - 9:00 in the community room this Friday 24th April. All parents welcome. 

3. Events this week Coaching Evening and Anzac Celebrations - There will be a special sports coaching evening this Tuesday 21st April from 6:30 -7:30 for all existing coaches and other parents who are interested in being future coaches. The idea is to set up a mentoring and support network to ensure that we have a consistent approach to coaching especially with our winter codes starting this week. 
There will be a sausage sizzle fundraiser for Vanuatu on Friday (notes will go home on Monday) as previously planned. We will wear our school uniform (no mufti day) to respectfully participate in a very special Anzac Service at 2:30pm on Friday. This will replace our normal assembly. Please join us.

4. Survey outcomes - Thanks to everyone who participated in our end of term student, staff and parent surveys. We have some valuable feedback about our Term 1 learning and change. I will share this in our newsblog on Thursday and will be contacting some of you who volunteered to share their thoughts in a video.

5. New staff and Visitors - This week, we warmly welcome Miss Gray into Junior Hub 1 and part timers Miss Taylor, Mrs Gower and Mrs McNally to support teaching and learning throughout our school. We also welcome a team of teachers from St Joseph's Timaru on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings to observe and learn about our ELS's.

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow for the new term as we continue to "Reach for the Stars as Lifelong Learners in the Catholic Faith" together.

How can we capture agency - learning and change growth for our whole community ?

As we come to the end of our first term of collaborative team teaching in our Engaging Learning Spaces (ELE's), it is time to gather some data. I am not referring to the kind of raw data that we collate from standardized assessments. I am referring to authentic and informative, evaluative reflections that Brian Annan referred to in a workshop that I attended last year. You can learn more in this blog link.  

Brian emphasized that the power of student agency shouldn't be confused with student voice. Student's learning must be driven by their own evaluation. They must be able to articulate what they need to change to take their learning forward. This is what must drive 'teaching as inquiry'. We need to move away from teacher ownership of the learning and change ideas and practices that we believe will support change. Instead we need to enable the students to articulate and action these.

For the last few years, as a staff we have been actively reflecting on our own pedagogical practice. We have been deliberately actioning change in our own practice to accelerate learning and achievement for our priority learners.

Yet, at times, we were still "doing learning to" or "doing learning for" the students. How can we ensure that they truly take ownership of the learning process themselves ? They need to practice, to fail, to get stuck, to try again and to succeed on their own in order to experience authentic engagement in learning. They need to reflect on their learning and articulate what they need to change to take their learning forward and to a deeper a level. They need to drive their own learning.

We also need to involve parents in as much of this process as possible. We need to support parents to articulate what they can do to contribute to the learning process too. 

How can we support students and parents to reflect on purposeful learning and change ?

Last week, we attended a Learning and Change Regional networking day. The evaluative conversations that were part of the day focused on the wealth of informative knowledge that can come from "Learning Maps" and one minute videos. I decided that we need to revisit these authentic modes of data gathering as well as utilize google forms (surveys) to capture engagement and growth in learning and change for our whole community this term.

Here is a link to a video of TeAwitu a young boy, sharing his evaluative Learning Maps.

We are going to start with a short learning survey for students, staff and parents. It was through a discussion about videos with a colleague, that I decided to ask our community in the survey if they would like to share their answers in a video. It helps to have time to reflect on a response. Even articulate adults need a chance to reflect to prepare authentic and succinct responses that truly capture the essence of their own learning and change. 

These are the questions for the surveys that have already been shared. All students who respond will go into the draw for a $50 gift card.

Online Google Form for year 5-8 students
What has gone well for you in your learning this term ?
What needs to change to make learning better for you ?
What are you looking forward to next term ?
Would you be willing to speak on a short video about this ?

Year 3-4 students will be able to complete a paper version. I will personally interview a selection of younger students. 

Staff will also complete a survey. It is important that they have a chance to reflect and share feedback as we prepare for the new term.

Staff Google Form 
What has worked well for you this term ?
What has been challenging this term ?
What would you like to change to make the next term better for you ?
Would you be willing to speak on a short video about this ?

Parents and caregivers also need a chance to reflect and give feedback. This form has been shared on our weekly school newsblog and on our school Facebook Page.

Parent Google Form. 
What has gone well for you and your child with learning this term ?
What has been challenging ?
What would you like to change ?
Would you be willing to speak on a short video about this ? 

As the responses to the surveys start to come in, we can begin to capture the authentic voice of a whole community involved in learning and change. Video interviews and learning maps will provide further evidence of learning and change reflections that will inform future and purposeful growth for the whole community.

Family Learning Hui 2 for 2015 - committed parents, children and staff supporting and sharing learning

After an opening prayer from Mrs Dooley and a technical hitch with our data projector, Mr Cartlidge shared the Learner Licence quiz that Mrs Frances-Rees had prepared for everyone. The quiz had been posted onto the school Facebook page. The questionnaire helped parents to understand what it would it be like as a learner at the different levels of the licences we use with the children.  What would you need to be able to demonstrate in order to get to the next level of the license ?

Then we watched this video about the learning that children lose over the Summer holiday period. This shows the value of extra support by families during out of school hours learning times. Our digital Teaching and Learning Site supports out of school learning and research proves that such learning can be hugely beneficial for our children and their progress.

 
After that we watched a video of some of our children being interviewed by Mrs Frances-Rees about their learning. It was a good chance to reflect on learning for our children after seven weeks of our new collaborative approach to learning at St Joseph's.

Then Mrs Brookes and Miss Clouston shared information about the junior Reading Eggs programme and Mathletics. Everyone had a chance to explore these sites using the junior school ipads.

Miss Clouston also spoke to some of these slides from this Mathletics slideshow. http://www.slideshare.net/karen3038712/mathletics-blog-presentation           

    
We finished with a reminder of how to comment on blogs. This is the video that Mannix made last year. We offfered personal support from staff as well.
Mannix’s video for blog instructions: https://youtu.be/mWAleYiSkfk


We finished by thanking families and staff for their support and reminded them that they could contribute to the agenda at our next Family Learning Hui in Term 2.

Can you say yes to these 5 signs of culturally responsive learning environments ?

We are only three weeks into the new school year and have already held a Family Learning Hui ( Maori for gathering ), a Board of Trustees meeting and a Pasifiki Fono (Polynesian for meeting). We have our Filipino Pagsasama (Tagalog for gathering) also booked in and have plans for our first Chinese meeting during the first six weeks of  term.

Inclusive educators are reflective and pro active and willing to adapt to the evolving needs of their community. Valuing and respecting the immense taonga (Maori for treasure ) of people resources that exist within our own family groups are vital. Utilising these powerful human resources  can create invaluable support networks for our vulnerable, priority learners who are struggling to adjust to unfamiliar languages, culture and environments.

This is an example of such a network in action already this year.

A new child was struggling to settle into school. The school pastoral liaison person visited the family. The class teacher and the principal made contact with the school Pasifika parent leader. The planned Pasifika fono was immediately moved forward. One of the leaders visited the new family and personally invited them to attend the fono. At the fono, the principal was able to openly ask for support for the new child and family. A discussion was held in Tongan and a number of parents and other children were willing to offer support. The outcome was that the whole group wanted to help the new child to settle in. A meeting was arranged for two of the leaders to meet with the new parent and the class teacher the following day at school. One of the senior school children offered to be available to help and support the new child. Within the first three weeks of the new school year, a safety net of care and love with direction and purpose was activated from the taonga of people resources already existing within the school community. 

Culturally responsive checklist for educators. Can you say a resounding  yes to these 5 indicators ?  

Do you...... 

1. Connect with learners and build sincere and authentic relationships with them and their families ( smile, greet them in their own language, learn to pronounce their name correctly, make home visits, attend school cultural meetings, community gatherings and events outside of your own classroom or workplace ) ?

2. Ensure that all the learning spaces have visual connectors ( artwork, pictures,signs, maps, symbols, photos ) that learners from other cultures ( representative of all cultures within your class or school ) can immediately connect with ?

3. Include stories, texts, inquiries and projects that are inclusive with themes that relate to other cultures in your teaching and learning ?

4. Walk in your learner's shoes and see learning through their eyes and adapt teaching and learning accordingly. How would you feel, what would you think, hear and see if you were suddenly expected to adapt and learn or work in an unfamiliar cultural environment ?

5. Have a growth mindset and an open heart and are willing to embrace new learning from other cultures that can genuinely nourish and broaden your own life skills and values ?

Can you add to the list ? Please share more ways to create culturally responsive environments in the comment box below.