Welcome to our latest update of information and stories you may be interested in... Labour weekend coming up so enjoy the day off. Jane. 
Term 4 2018 Whānau Contributions Your families may be starting to ask about Term 4 requests for Whānau Contributions. Feel free to let them know that these will be emailed out later next week. Hard copies will also be delivered to kindergartens for distribution through “child pockets”. So that we have the most up to date information for our request letters can you please try and have all your children’s enrolment records in Infocare up to date by the end of day on Tuesday 23rd October 2018.
Public Holiday – Timesheets And Staff Hour Counts As Monday is a public holiday, with payday the following day, please can you send in timesheets and returns, and confirm the staff hour count, by lunch time tomorrow, Friday 19th. If there are changes after you send them in you can email payroll@wmkindergartens.org.nz. There is a bit of pressure to get the pay confirmed by the cut-off on Tuesday afternoon so having the information early is really helpful. Thank you.
PLD And Meeting Calendar Please take the time to read the PLD and Meeting Calendar, through the link below, as there has a slight change of format. - Setting the Compass Dial is now called Tapasā – Turu 1 (you must have completed Carrying the Tapa to enrol onto Tapasā, see next news item)
- Information on this year’s annual Symposium
You can also access the outlook calendar here.
Tapasā PLD Tapasā has officially been launched. As an Association we are pleased to have the opportunity to unpack this document with you. If you have completed Carrying the Tapa PLD please ensure that you enrol in a Turu 1 session this term. You can enrol through HR.Net, however if are having any difficulties contact Hannah at hannah.toomaga@wmkindergartens.org.nz. There are spaces available for Turu 1 in all sessions this term, please check the PLD calendar link below. The delivery dates for these sessions have been carefully planned to manage workloads. It is essential that you enrol into these courses within the term as they will be the only courses available. If you have not completed a Carrying the Tapa PLD please make contact with your Senior Teacher.
Photo Bank Approval In the past we have sent out photo content banks to each kindergarten to have photos approved for use. Unfortunately we received little response, so we will be sending these out again. The photos were captured either by Doug from Glasstower or Chanelle at the office. The idea is that once we have the photos approved for use we will be able to access these when we need images for our reports and advertising etc - rather than sending out 50 emails asking for photo permissions every time we put out a new document. Some of the images may seem dated, however so long as we have approval, these photos will always be useful for us! They will also be used in a number of different ways, so while you may think a photo is not particularly flattering, it may be that we intend to crop and re-colour the picture etc. You will first receive an email from Wetransfer telling you, you have files to download. (Please be sure to check your junk folder for this). You will then need to click ‘get your files’ which will take you to the wetransfer website where you can begin downloading the images. Once these are downloaded they will most likely go to your downloads folder where you can view these. If you could then go through the photos, making a list of which photos can not be used due to permission, and then please send this list to Chanelle at the office – chanelle.huia-rutten@wmkindergartens.org.nz. Please could this be actioned by the 16th November. If you have any queries or questions, please email Chanelle.
Celebrating Pedagogical Practice 4th October 2018  Thank you to our wonderful presenters; Lisa Ford, Scott Marris (Waikanae), Jenny Manning, (Island Bay), and Nelly Kendall-Carpenter (Carterton). It was a great morning of sharing practices. Check out the Teachers Toolbox, some of the presentations are available for viewing.
Environschools - A Children's Garden and Roadtrip  Come along to the Te Awa Kairangi Early Childhood Sustainability Network to learn all about the Discovery Garden at the Wellington Botanic Gardens. Network with other teachers - and get inspired about growing in your centres. Bring your own ideas to share! All welcome. Please RSVP to help with planning and catering. Where: Generously hosted by Waterloo Kindergarten When: 3.30-5pm Wednesday 7th November 
Roadtrip!!
The team at Environschools are very excited to invite you to meet with the Wellington Enviroschools on 14th November. Given the geography and traffic of the city, we have planned to visit the northern suburbs: - 4.30pm Paparārangi Kindergarten - Liz Lee will share their place-based/Tiriti based programme
- 5-6pm Sharing from the Enviroschools National ECE Hui - Five of us were very privileged to head to Tamaki Makaurau and meet with 150 other Enviroschools people working within ECE. We will each share a quick snapshot.
- 6.15-6.45pm Visit Daisies (tbc) who have recently become a Silver Enviroschool.
You can RSVP for both events by clicking here.
Kindergartens Call On The Government To Honour Promise And Restore Funding New Zealand Kindergartens has called on the government to immediately reinstate funding for services employing 100 per cent qualified teachers, after news that four South Island kindergartens are closing. Kidsfirst Kindergartens, which operates kindergartens in Canterbury and Westland, announced the closures over the term break. Two of the affected kindergartens are in Christchurch, with another in Kaiapoi and the fourth in Franz Josef – the only kindergarten in South Westland. New Zealand Kindergartens says the decision is a direct result of years of underfunding and poor policy decisions. Kindergarten funding was cut by 14 per cent in 2011 and since then funding increases have failed to keep pace with inflation. Kidsfirst, like other Kindergarten Associations has continued to employ qualifieid registered teachers despite not being funded to pay them. “We were optimistic when the government came into office last year committed to reinstating the funding” says NZK Chief Executive Clare Wells. “The government must deliver on its promise and address underfunding as an immediate priority.” Here’s a link to the full release from NZK.
The Education Council And IELTs Tests The television programme Fair Go has taken up the issue of English language tests for overseas born teachers even if they have qualified in New Zealand and, in some cases, completed their secondary education here. The programme featured Razia who qualified with a Bachelor of Teaching three years ago but has failed to get the marks needed in the IELTs test written section to get registered. She was required to pass the test because she was born in Fiji, even though her secondary education in Fiji was in English and her degree at Auckland University was also in English. The Education Council changed its mind and allowed her registration to go through shortly before the programme went to air. It wasn’t clear whether the programme was the reason for the change of heart. Whānau Manaaki Kindergartens has been involved in discussions with the Education Council to change the way it makes decisions about English language proficiency. Here’s a link to the programme.
Early Childhood Teacher Shortages – Government Urged To Act The early childhood sector has called on the government to take action to increase the number of early childhood teachers, instead of focusing just on schools. The government has announced it is spending $40 million on various strategies to increase the teacher supply in schools, including an overseas recruitment drive. It has been estimated that 800 extra early childhood teachers are needed now, and 1300 more are needed to cater for roll growth. Meanwhile the numbers training have dropped by 40 per cent in recent years. New Zealand Kindergartens has advocated for the government to reinstate funding for 100 per cent qualfied teachers, and to have a plan for moving to a fully qualified teaching workforce. “Kindergartens and many education and care centres have managed to hang on to 100 per cent qualitied teachers but that’s getting harder to do” says NZK’s chief executive Clare Wells. “Years of uncertainty for people looking to take up a teaching career, and for employers and training providers, is taking its toll. We have to turn that around.” New Zealand Kindergartens is also calling for all teachers to be covered by a collective agreement. “Attracting people into the teaching profession is one thing, supporting them to stay there is another – and we have to do both” Clare Wells said. NZEI Te Riu Roa says the situation in early childhood is significantly worse than in schools, with underfunding and low salaries in many parts of the sector. Te Rito Maioha/Early Childhood New Zealand which trains teachers and is also represents several hundred ECE services says it’s astounding that the government hasn’t included early childhood teachers in it recruitment drive for primary and secondary school teachers. Chief executive Kathy Wolfe says the early childhood teacher shortage is just as bad as the primary and secondary one, and the government must address the fundamental issues that are causing the shortage. She’s called for pay parity across the sector, government funding for 100 per cent qualified teachers, and funding to support better working conditions. | “The government must address these issues to make a career in early childhood attractive and reduce the churn of teachers. If the government does not do something fundamental to reverse the past 10 years’ decline, New Zealand will never have enough qualified early childhood teachers and our children and society will pay the price.” |
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National Summit 
Property Team Busy Over The Term Break The property team were busy over the term break with a number of major jobs undertaken. Raumati Beach Kindergarten had a new kitchen and art preparation area installed, and wow it looks amazing!  
Handy Facebook Pages  A good page to follow on facebook – Waste free with Kate! Kate shares some great environmental initiatives but also provides alternatives for parents/children. https://www.facebook.com/wastefreewithkate/ 
This Week On Facebook  
Katoa children enjoyed using an old lawn mower that required human power and time to get the right technique. 
Papararangi children have been out enjoying the sandpit and welcoming a few new comers to the kindergarten! 
Betty Montford children practised their earthquake drill this morning as part of ‘shake out’.
To Give Away Discovery Kindergarten have the following items to give away. You will need to pick them up. Fell free to give the team a call if you are interested.  
 
Appointments Congratulations to the following on their recent appointments: | Bess Kuo | .4 Teacher | Strathmore Park | | Rachel Graves | Teacher | Wellington South | | Louise Glenny | Administrator | Tairangi | | Linda Devlin | Administrator | Pikopiko Clyde Quay | | Yvette Verhoeven | Relieving .6 Teacher to 21 Dec 2018 | Onslow | | Yvonne Plumley | Relieving .2 Teacher to 21 Dec 2018 | Paremata | | Sarah Talbot | Relieving Administrator to 7 March 2019 | Tai Tamariki |
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