Nau mai ki tenei wiki Kōrero. My goodness, what a week!
To all of you who have been under the weather with all sorts of illnesses, take care, and to those of you who battled the weather and kept beautiful things for children, thank you.
And then there was Covid Alert level 2 on top of it! What amazing support and cooperation from all of you - you rock! Mandy xoxo 
Annual ECE Return Due Please note: The return for the 2020 ECE Census can be submitted on any date between 1 and 9 July. The Annual ECE Return Week this year is 21 to 25 June 2021. The ECE Return is completed on Infocare. Please see the instructions here. If you require assistance to complete the ECE Return please contact Tania Braybrook 04 232 3065 or by email tania.braybrook@wmkindergartens.
Email Contacts in GOSH
Just a reminder that email contacts for children located in GOSH are extracted from Infocare so cannot be edited in GOSH by kindergarten teams. We upload email addresses from Infocare onto GOSH every Monday so any new email contacts entered into Infocare after that will not be accessible in GOSH until the following week. It is also crucial that when enrolling new children teams ask whānau for their email addresses and continue to encourage whānau to keep their contact details up to date If you have any questions, please contact Lorraine.
StaffSync We are pleased to be making progress on rolling out StaffSync: - We will be going live with the Rostering function (and Infocare link) to all kindergartens in Upper Hutt and Wairarapa from 19 July.
- We will have online training/refreshers for the Head Teacher and Administrators from those kindergartens in the next couple of weeks, with four options so they can choose which is most suitable. We will contact the kindergartens directly with more information about those times and dates.
- This will NOT include the leave part of the StaffSync system at this stage so all staff should continue apply for leave through iPayroll at this stage.
For everyone else, you just need to keep doing what you’re doing and we’ll let you know when it’s your turn to take the next step. If you have questions at all about StaffSync you can contact Leigh or your Relieving Coordinator.
Senior Teacher Update Kia ora koutou katoa, Induction and Mentoring Seminar 16 July We are looking forward to seeing all PCT’s and Mentors at our July seminar for 2021 – Please remember that your attendance at our seminars is an important requirement for completing your Induction and Mentoring Programme. As you may know already, we made some changes to the way we are running our seminars this year. As we have over twenty kaiako who hold a Tōmua (or Provisional Practising certificate) and their mentors engaging in our Induction and Mentoring Programme, we are running our seminars in clusters in your region so that we meet the group size requirements for HWM PLD. The two workshops in this seminar are strongly linked to the Standards for the Teaching Profession and focus on: Reflective Practice – linking with the Professional Growth Cycle Leaderful practice For this seminar we will have a regional cluster in Upper Hutt at Silverstream Kindergarten and there will also be one at our Porirua office. The Whanganui cluster will be offered at a later date. As there is less travel involved using this cluster model, the seminar now starts at9.00am – and finishes at 1.00pm (this is a change from the time advertised in the PLD calendar). Enrolments in the clusters will be open on Tūhonohono from next week. Please enrol in the cluster that you would like to attend so that we have enough resources (and morning tea😉) at each one… Please talk with your Senior Teacher if you have any questions, or contact Lynette. Leaderful Practice PLD We look forward to seeing all teachers enrolled in both of our leaderful practice clusters, in the upcoming term break. We also want to confirm that the meeting date for both cluster groups (the 2019 cohort and the new 2021 cohort) will be Tuesday 13 July 2021. Please note this date is different from the original one set at the beginning of 2021. We do appreciate this may now cause a clash with other PLD, already booked in this week, but we will be recording the sessions and are happy to share with you if needed. Please remember everyone to enrol on Tūhonohono - The 2019 cohort session is in the morning 9.30am to 12 noon and will be examining the capability: Ensuring culturally responsive practice and understanding of Aotearoa New Zealand’s cultural heritage, using Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the foundation.
- The 2021 cohort will meet in the afternoon 1pm to 3.30pm and the focus for this session will be Building and Sustaining High Trust Relationships.
Please feel free to call or email Fiona if you need any further information about these workshops. 12 to 16 of July PLD Week This week offers time to attend planned PLD and time to come together as a team. Your Senior Teacher is available to support with the design of this week for your team Take this time to consider and plan for any of the following: - Redesigning the environment/curriculum spaces
- Progressing with STL action plans
- Internal Evaluation/Reviews
- Professional Growth Discussions
- Te Manawa mahi such as Communities of Learners-remember to share your discussions/team minutes with your Senior Teacher
- Purchasing resources
- Team building
- Quality Practice Templates
- Individual mahi
Financial Year End Yesterday was our financial year-end so we require your assistance to close off our accounting records and ensure they are tidy for our audit review. Year-End Audit and Invoice cut-off Our auditors will be visiting soon to start their review of our financial records for the financial year. This means we need to ensure that all invoices for goods and services that relate to this period (1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021) are included in your kindergarten accounts. Can you please scan and email (accounts@wmkindergartens.org.nz) all your recent invoices to us at the Association Office by tomorrow (end of day) and please give some thought to those June 2021 invoices that you will not have received by this date - in these instances can you please contact your regular suppliers and ask them to send their invoices to you for processing. Please also check your kindergarten mail/inbox in the last week of term (and over the term break) and scan/email us (accounts@wmkindergartens.org.nz) any late invoices you receive. The last date for getting June invoices to us for payment is Wednesday 14 July 2021. We will include all invoices we receive from you in your June kindergarten accounts, which will be emailed to you in “draft” (subject to review by our auditors) later in July. Infocare Cut-Off We also need your help to finalise our Infocare records for year-end. To help us with this we would be grateful if you could have your Infocare records, for the period ended Friday 2 July, completed tomorrow (end of day). This means we would like you to complete the following tasks in Infocare up to and including Friday 2 July, as per a normal month end cut-off: - Sign in sheets marked in Infocare (actual attendance)
- Fee invoices (for the week ending 2 July) created and committed
- Staff timetables (“staff hour count”) for the week ending 2 July completed
- Online sign off of your monthly roll return
- Any ratio, attendance or roll issues are communicated to the Association (please call Tania)
- Print the Frequent Absence forms for June for all children that are highlighted Orange and Red (Please notify Tania once you have printed off these forms)
We will be reviewing your Infocare data so you may receive reminder emails or queries on Monday 3 July. No changes to Infocare for the period to 2 July 2021 will be able to be made after 4pm, Monday 3 July 2021. Please let Tania know ASAP if you expect there to be any delay with completing these tasks by the date indicated.
Hazards Week 9 of each term, this week 28 June, there are two tasks for Hazard Management that need to be undertaken: Review of Hazard Register Review of Termly Hazard Checklist Review of Hazard Register This is an opportunity to update your Hazard Register including: Does the hazard still exist? If it does, review it to see if there are any changes to the actions and approaches to manage this hazard As a result of feedback from teams, GOSH has created a more user friendly way to review your hazards. You will see now that there is a new icon on your “My Kindergarten” view. There is a new form called “Kindergarten Hazard Review Audit” (see below). This form has simplified the process for review as you no longer need to: edit each hazard individually instead; a tick box has been created where you look at the hazards and if it still exists and you are happy with the ‘controls’ then you just tick the box. Upon completing this record, all related hazard records on your Hazard Register will be updated to reflect this review. 
Review of Termly Hazard Checklist The Hazard checklist is able to be completed on GOSH and can be found in the “What would you like to report” section on the home page (please see the red circle below). Any hazards that are identified during this process that cannot be eliminated immediately are then entered onto your kindergartens Hazard Register using GOSH. 
Review of Accidents on GOSH Week 9 of this term, being this week, is the time to review your child accident registers on GOSH. We are currently working with GOSH to streamline the process, making it easier to review and also to be able to create graphs, but currently the best way to review your accidents is : Go into your Parent Summary in “My Kindergarten” and you can filter by using the search option (blue arrow). You can enter a specific primary category and you will see all the accidents related to that category (yellow arrow). You can select the dates you want to look at (green arrow) and check the ones you emailed (grey arrow). You can also look at how many times you provided accident reports to parents (orange arrow). 
Allergy Wristband If you're interested in having allergy identification bands for your child.
The link below has all the information you need!
Allergy Wristbands.
Matariki This year, NZEI hosted free online PLD around Matariki and kaupapa Māori. They recorded these webinars to share with all members of NZEI Te Riu Roa. Find out more here and check out some awesome kaikōrero. 
Maisie’s Exhibition Opens 
Tai Tamariki Kindergarten teacher Maisie Chilton has an exhibition opening at the Toi Pōneke gallery in Abel Smith Street in the capital this weekend. Her exhibition is called “Where does it hurt?” and it deals with issues of disability, trauma, and vulnerability. Maisie’s work is described as including “stark line drawings, powerful written words and visceral, and layered paintings” that bring visibility to survivors of abuse and those living with disabilities.
Healthy Homes Healthy homes standards come in from today, with new standards relating to heating, ventilation and insulation, which should improve health for children and families around the country. The government hopes the new standards will mean warmer, drier houses and that will improve health with less asthma, rheumatic fever and respiratory infections, lower medical bills and fewer hospital admissions. An estimated 1.4 million New Zealanders live in rental properties. The Asthma Foundation says 700,000 people are affected by respiratory disease leading to 80,000 hospital admissions at a cost of $6 billion a year.
Teaching Council Changes Found to be Unlawful The court has ruled that the Teaching Council acted unlawfully when it raised registration fees and moved to annual registration. The court case was taken by the secondary teachers’ union, the PPTA. At the moment, it’s not clear what will happen as a result of the ruling. Here’s a link to an RNZ story: High Court blocks Teaching Council's plan to raise fees, move to annual renewal | RNZ News
TONI Training A group of educators have been studying in the Whānau Manaaki office this week, from left, Gaga, Victoria, Nooroa, Caryll (tutor), Maselina, and Matanoanoa. The group is studying for the certificate in early childhood education, and most will go on to work as home -based educators in the Etu Ao service. They are due to graduate next month. Gaga who is from Samoa has found the study very interesting, and she plans to continue her studies and become a teacher. Maselina, who is also from Samoa, describes the course as “an awesome opportunity” and she is already working as a Playgroup co-ordinator. Mata, also from Samoa, has been working as a bus driver, while also looking after her four grandchildren. She says it’s been exciting to be involved in study, and she is looking forward to working as part of the Etu Ao service while helping her family. Another group of educators is due to graduate in Levin later this month. Government Initiatives Coming into Affect from Today Benefits go up All benefits will rise today, July 1, with an extra $20 a week for all beneficiaries. Further increases will come in next year, depending on the benefit. Around 355,000 New Zealanders will be affected by this. Sick leave Additional sick leave also comes in from the end of July, moving to 10 days a year. People will become eligible for extra leave from their anniversary. Paid parental leave increases Weekly parental leave payments increase by 2.5 per cent to a maximum of $621 a week. Migrant protections Migrants on work visas who have reported exploitation can get a visa that allows them to work for another employer anywhere in New Zealand. Pay Rises for teachers All teachers covered by the Kindergarten Teachers Collective Agreement will get a pay rise this month. This will show up in the payday of 27 July. Here’s a link to the agreement: Kindergarten Teachers, Head Teachers and Senior Teachers' Collective Agreement – Education in New Zealand Kindergarten support staff are due for a pay increase in December. Many early childhood teachers outside of kindergartens can also expect a pay rise from today, as the amount services have to attest to paying in return for government funding goes up. Whānau Manaaki’s Work Extends in Social Services Area Whānau Manaaki’s contracts to provide social services are expanding, as government recognises our capacity to work with local communities and achieve positive outcomes for families, particularly in the Pacific community. Whanau Manaaki Kindergartens has a four-year contract to support 300 families or individuals in the Porirua area with developing financial viability and reducing debt, as well as moving to home ownership. The programme will involve workshops, zoom sessions and face-to-face sessions, to help people understand their finances and how to reach their goals. While a few people may already be in a position to move to home ownership within a six month period, they need support to make the big leap into the commitment of buying a house. Others will take a while to get out of debt and move into saving, starting with support for debt consolidation, leading to lower interest rates and more rapid repayments. Another contract supports community connections after Covid, particularly supporting families in emergency housing. The needs are varied, including connections to other services, transport to schools, mental health issues, even storage, or provision of heating. This contract covers 40 families, again in the Porirua area, and includes a discretionary fund. Whānau Manaaki’s existing Whānau Ora contract has been extended, until 2024. It involves around 260 families, but around twice that are on the waiting list to receive help and support. Under this contract, families are helped to reach their own goals, which can be financial, health related, educational, or empowerment to solve problems such as gambling or other addictions. And Whānau Manaaki also has a three year contract for Engaging Priority Families, which supports families into early childhood education, working with families in Levin, Whanganui and Porirua.
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