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REGIONAL NEWS

For a roundup of what has been happening across our regions click below.

• Main Page 24/02/2022Main Page 24/02/2022

Nau mai ki te pānui tênei ko te Kōrero.

Covid-19 Update

Business as Usual in a Covid-19 Protection Framework (CPF) Environment

Operating at Red

Update 24 February 2022

Previous information:

• He Whānau Manaaki Kindergarten Information Pack
  Business as Usual in a Covid-19 Protection Framework (CPF) Environment – 18 Feb 2022

Operating our kindergartens at “Red”

The Kindergarten Information pack we sent out last Friday was a biggy – close to being a novella lol! We wanted to ensure we had as much information as we could in one doc – please keep it somewhere that’s easily accessible, or print it off so you can refer to relevant bits as they come up. We certainly don’t expect you to read it from cover to cover in one go. It’s a reference document to help you as issues arise. A link to the pack is here.

Moving to CPF Phase 3

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins announced today that the country will move to Phase Three of the CPF Omicron response.

For further information on conditions in Phase 3 please click on link

Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs)

One of the recent announcements from the Ministry of Education is that Te Mahau (Ministry of Education) offices will be receiving an initial supply of 200,000 rapid antigen tests (RATs) for distribution under the close contact exemption scheme, with another 480 000 tests arriving next week.

The Secretary for Education said in her recent bulletin: “Rapid antigen tests should only be used as a last resort where all teachers and staff are required to isolate and there isn’t a suitable person who can supervise children onsite. There is risk involved in a close contact returning to work with children, so please carefully think through any use of rapid antigen tests for this purpose”.

We are in the process of applying to access RATs under the close contact exemption scheme, and we are developing guidelines and processes around the use of them, using advice from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health.

We will update you next week on progress.

Supporting Each other to Prepare for Home Isolation

Thanks to everyone who participated in reviewing the the checklist for developing Home Isolation Plans and feeding back to your Senior Teachers. Teams reported that it was useful to go through the checklist and have the discussion, so that they could look at ways of supporting eachother. Remember, we are here to support you.

Confirmed Cases/Close Contacts

Each week we will provide you with a report on Confirmed Cases/Close Contacts as the relate to our services. A huge shout out to our Office Staff and Senior Teachers who have provided great support to teams and to our staff in our kindergartens who have been so calm and reassuring at time of significant stress.

Our Amataga Team have also been working long hours to support families in SIQ, which is yet another example of the amazing people we work with with – you all rock!

Further Information

Just to remind you, we’ll be including Updates in the Kōrero each week. If there is an announcement that requires us to send out correspondence to you urgently, we will do, and your Senior Teacher will alert your team.

We need a record of your booster shot

As part of the mandated vaccination policy, Whānau Manaaki needs to collect records from everyone of your booster shot.  Anyone who is required to receive a booster and has not sent the details to the office by March 1 will not be able to continue working at kindergarten.

If you received your second dose of the vaccine six months ago – that is, on or before 1 September  2021, then you need to have had your booster shot. 

It is really important to recognise that the requirement is not just that you have received a booster shot, but that we maintain a record of it.

This requirement also applies to relievers.

Please support us to comply with the requirements and keep our kindergartens functioning smoothly by sending in your booster details to our Covid email address.  Access your mycovid record to get this evidence.

Relievers

As we said in the last Kōrero, we understand that it can be particularly challenging to find a reliever at the moment. The People Team are working hard to get as many relievers processed and available to work in our kindergartens as soon as possible. In the last month we have employed:

• 21 new registered relievers
• 12 new untrained relievers
• 42 new support staff in various roles (who may also be able to be relievers).

Right now, we are in the middle of processes for:

• 6 untrained relievers/support staff(waiting on their Police Vets)
• 5 registered relievers (applied to be on the list and will be interviewed over the next 2 weeks)

What we need you to do:

• Only get a reliever if you think attendance will be high and you need one to maintain ratios. We know that attendance has been lower, particularly in communities where there are confirmed cases of COVID and this may mean you don’t necessarily need to replace the teacher who is away.
• If you book a reliever but on the day you find numbers are low, please contact the Relieving Coordinator or your Senior Teacher.  We may need to move the reliever (or another teacher) to another kindergarten. Thank you, in advance, for your support in this way.
• If you need a reliever (because of numbers) but we haven’t been able to find you one, contact your Senior Teacher or the office, immediately.  We will contact other kindergartens and try to move a teacher or a reliever to you. 
• Identify a group of kindergarten parents who can be emergency relievers for you.  We will always try to get a qualified reliever first but if we can’t get one then you can ask one of these parents to step in.  They do need to be police vetted etc before we can use them so ask them to complete the Untrained Relievers Pack (see below) and send it in – we will process it as quickly as we can. We suggest you start with the volunteers you already have attested under the Mandatory Vaccination Order, as they will also need to meet that requirement.

We need to support our precious Relievers during this time – keep them connected, informed and feeling supported. Please talk to any relievers you have in your kindergartens – check that they are reading the Kōrero and other information we send out. 

Relievers COVID Info meeting

We are inviting all our relievers to an online meeting on 3 March at 4pm to discuss our processes and address any questions. We will send an invitation via email to all our relievers tomorrow so please check they have received this. 

Relievers Network Meetings

Reliever network meetings are being held on the 16th March from 4pm, in different areas across the region. The meetings are to enable relievers to engage in professional conversation about their practice, particularly as it relates to the Teaching Standards (for registration).  It’s also a chance to meet and talk with other relievers in their area. Relievers should email Karen Craig to let her know which meeting they would like to attend.

The meeting venues are:

• Bellevue Kindergarten - City North
• Waiouru Kindergarten - Central Plateau
• Ngahina Kindergarten - Kapiti/Levin
• WMK – Head Office - Porirua
• Silverstream Kindergarten - Upper Hutt
• Carterton Kindergarten - Wairarapa
• Newtown Kindergarten - City Central/South
• St Johns Club - Whanganui

Relievers Email Update

We will email our relievers tomorrow (Friday) with an update and more information about the meetings.  Please encourage your relievers to look out for that and then to be in touch with us if they have questions or need support. 

Untrained Relievers Pack

Please find below the links to paperwork for an untrained reliever. The Police Vet and Proof of ID are two separate documents. The Proof of ID requires the Head Teacher to sight the two forms of ID and fill in the form with the details. The Police Vet requires two forms of ID to be photocopied and on each copy the words:

“I have sighted the original version of this document and confirm they appear to be the same person” – Head Teacher to sign, and date.

Please be aware that if you are copying the drivers licence, the new licences have the issue and expiry date on the back and we require a copy of that too.  Please also provide us with a COVID vaccination record showing dose 1 and 2 and booster.

Application Untrained Relievers Nov21

IR330

Police Vet and Identity Verification Check List

Proof of Identity

PVS Vetting Request and Consent Form

Information About Fee Rises Coming

As outlined in a previous Korēro, we are having to increase our fees, and to charge fees for hours over 20 for all our kindergartens. The changes will take effect from next term, May 2, 2022.

A pack is coming out explaining the fees, and it will include Frequently Asked Questions.  It will also include an update for you to share with your families.

Issues related to fees will be discussed at the Head Teacher meetings, beginning next week.

Senior Teacher Update

Kia ora koutou katoa,  

Head Teacher Meetings via Teams

Head Teacher Meetings will move online to the platform of TEAMS with a shorter time frame, as we continue to navigate the current COVID environment. Invites will be sent to Head Teachers individual WM email addresses. Keep an eye out for these.  

The meeting will be in two parts, as shown in the agenda below. The first part, Fees discussion, will follow the recent COVID HT TEAMS meetings format, where there will be a time for questions and the chat feature can be used to ask questions. With the shorter time frame, if any questions aren’t responded too on the day, we will collate them and share responses at a later date.  

The second part, Leading through COVID, will be a shorten version of our planned mahi with Head Teachers, that will be at a later date, an opportunity to engage in the full discussion of this relevant topic for us as leaders. We have provided a link to Kate Thornton leadership through Covid that supports the kōrero. 

If you need any support prior to the HT meetings with ‘TEAMS meetings’ you can contact Senior Teachers, Lynette Wray or Tania Jack 

Kaupapa

Regional Staff Meetings   

A decision has been made to cancel all Regional Staff meetings for term one. With the current number of Covid case in our communities, it is sadly not going to be feasible to bring everyone together.   

PLD Update 

Workshops with Lou 

Lou has on offer a range of PLD workshops for kindergarten teams. We are asking you to talk with your Senior Teacher about which ones you are interested in.

Your Senior Teacher will send Lou your team’s expression of interest and Lou will contact your kindergarten directly.

Please note, your kindergarten will be the venue for these workshops and only your team will be attending. 

Lou’s workshops always receive great feedback, and what they offer continues to build our bicultural capability, as individuals, as a team and as an organisation.  

Workshop 1:Te Tiriti o Waitangi- 3.00pm to 5.00pm:  21 February, 20 July, 10 October  

Workshop 2: Te Taiao- 3.00 pm to 5.00pm: 14 March, 19 July, 11 October 

Workshop 3: Te Whāriki- 3.00 pm to 5.00pm: 27 April, 18 July, 13 October 

(please note times are flexible with Lou, if any of these dates fall in the PLD weeks for Part year Kindergartens, or if Full Year Kindergartens would like to make them their Teacher Only Day focus) 

Strategic Teaching and Learning Plan update 

To support your planning for 2022 you will now find the updated versions of the following forms/templates available here on the Teachers Toolbox , including word versions: 

• The HWM Year Planner   
• AR -STLP flow chart 2022 
• STLP template  
• Curriculum development framework 2022.  

If you are having any problems with locating or using any of these documents then talk with your senior teacher who will be happy to support you.   

Kahui Ako 

Kāhui Ako Survey - Education Conversation - Citizen Spacehere is a link to the national Kahui AKo survey, this is live until Friday 4rd March. The purpose of the survey is to get your views about how the Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako model might be made more responsive to local needs.  

Finance Update

End of Month Infocare Cut-Off 

A reminder that next week is the last working week of the month and we will be working on Board and Kindergarten reports for the month of February. All of the information we require is generated from your enrolment and staff timetable information in Infocare, so we need your help to ensure that all of this is complete and accurate. 

Can you please ensure that, for all the weeks in this month (which ends on Monday), the following is completed in Infocare by 4pm Wednesday 2 March: 

• Sign in sheets marked in Infocare (actual attendance) 
• Fee invoices are created and committed 
• Staff timetables (“staff hour counts”) are completed 

• Online sign off of your monthly roll return 
• Any ratio, attendance or roll issues are communicated to the Association (please call Tania at the Porirua Office) 

If you have staff away can you please ensure arrangements are in place so that this deadline is met – this may mean that these tasks need to be completed by Teaching staff before the cut off. 

We will be reviewing your data so you may receive reminder emails or queries on Thursday 3 March. 

PLD - Child Protection Update

Hot off the Press for Whanganui region: Child Protection courses in Whanganui happening 19 April and 12 July.

If you have enrolled yourself on one of the Porirua ones, just let Kaz know which date you WERE on and which date you would LIKE to attend and she will move you.

Waste Minimisation Course

A reminder that the brand new Waste Minimisation Course, facilitated by Sophie Flanagan is running on 9 March in Plimmerton.  There are a limited number of spaces but still some available. 

Enrol in Tūhonohono or contact Karen Craig to enrol you on to the course.

Online Waiata and Te Reo Sessions Coming Soon!

Whānau Manaaki Kindergartens has contracted te reo kaiako Bea Joblin to run waiata sessions and provide Te Reo support to our kindergartens.

Bea, who is an actor and film maker as well as an early childhood teacher and facilitator has been offering bilingual mat times to around ten of our kindergartens for the past five years.

She is going to run zoom sessions three mornings a week, which all kindergartens can access for their tamariki. They’ll include waiata and a story in te reo.

Bea will also be available for up to ten kindergartens to have a visit once a term and is going to run online PD sessions for teachers once a week.

There’ll also be in person opportunities for kindergartens who want an environment audit, support with creating visual resources, or with tailored PD sessions.

The idea is to empower teachers to include more waiata and te reo in their programme each day.

Bea says it’s been a privilege to work in kindergarten. “The kids love it, and the progress comes every week, I keep seeing tamariki empowered to lead themselves.’

She is happy for any kindergartens to email her to find out more.

Teaching Council Consults on Fees and Levies

The Teaching Council is consulting the teaching profession on fees and levies. This follows an increase in fees which was then overturned by a court decision, after a judicial review case taken by the secondary teachers’ union, the PPTA.

The Council is now proposing to charge $472 for initial registration and practising certificates for New Zealand trained teachers, and for renewing teaching registration for three years.

Here’s a link to the summary of the consultation document in English.

Here’s a link to the summary document in Te Reo Māori.

Union Scholarships Available

Teachers and support staff in kindergartens who are members of NZEI Te Riu Roa are eligible for scholarships to enhance their practice.

Scholarships of up to $6,000 are available, for projects that will enhance the early learning sector and align with the values of the union.

Here’s the link for more information.

Whanganui Association Office on the Move

We are relocating the WM Association office from it’s current premises in Victoria Avenue to 8 Bell Street, Whanganui.  As you can imagine the team in the office are busy packing up in preparation for the move. I am sure you will be patient with them as they undertake this task. 

The team are excited about the move and are looking forward to welcoming you to the new premises from 14 March. 

Previous Kōrero Editions

If you are wanting to access previous editions of the Kōrero you can find them at 

www.wmkindergartens.org.nz/archive

or you can click here.

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