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REGIONAL NEWS

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

Our latest news:

• 28/10/202128/10/2021Click here to check out regional happenings.
• Main Page 28/10/2021Main Page 28/10/2021

Nau mai ki te pānui tênei ko te Kōrero.

He Rā Maumahara

Today, October 28 is Te Pūtake o te Riri, He Rā Maumahara, our national day of remembrance for the New Zealand wars, which took place between 1840 and the 1870s as the colonising force fought to take over Māori land.  The wars also involved disputes over Māori autonomy and the Treaty of Waitangi and how it was interpreted.

He Rā Maumahara falls on the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence of the United Tribes of New Zealand / He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni.

Pictured is the flag of the United Tribes, flying over Mataimoana on the Miramar peninsula in Wellington. 

This day of remembrance gives us an opportunity to reflect on the conflicts of the New Zealand Wars, the loss of Māori and Pākehā lives, the loss of Māori land, the damage to Māori wairua and the lasting impacts these events had on Aotearoa.

The day of remembrance was first marked after students at Ōtorohanga College started a petition which gained nearly 13,000 signatures. The students also marched on parliament, and gained support from Māori elders around the country.   

This petition also led to the inclusion of New Zealand history as a core part of the New Zealand curriculum.

Covid-19 Operating At Level 2

We’re aware that teaching teams have been asking about whether they need to keep operating within the guidelines for Covid-19 Alert level 2, and how the mandatory vaccination requirements may impact. 

At this stage, the details are being sorted through, and so you need to continue to operate within the guidelines provided in our Set Up Pack for Kindergartens in our move to Covid-19 level 2, that was emailed through to your kindergarten email address on 7 September 2021.  The guidelines call for your judgement in many instances, and so it is important that you discuss any issues you have with your Senior Teacher to reach decisions around this stuff.

We will be sending more guidance out to you over the coming weeks as more information is provided.

In the interim, please continue to encourage the children, their whānau, and you to:

• wash your hands,
• scan QR codes, and
• get vaccinated.

And most importantly: kia manaaki to aroha katoa, be kind to each other. 

Urgent - Keep Vaccine Details Coming  

As you know, the Government has announced its decision that all those in Early Childhood Education (and schools) will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to continue working with children.

This is a huge piece of work for the Association’s People Team, as we need to collect details for around 1,000 staff and some 500 volunteers and contractors.  It would be great if teachers, support staff and relievers could help the Whānau Manaaki office by sending in their evidence of vaccination as soon as possible to the address  covidvac@wmkindergartens.org.nz.

Thanks to all those who have already sent theirs in.  

Remember, evidence can be:

• an email, txt or SMS you have received from the vaccine or medical provider confirming you have been vaccinated;
• your immunisation card (as long as it is complete with name and dates);
• your record from the Book My Vaccine website or the My COVID Record website – mycovidrecord.nz ;

We will look for photos, screenshots, or actual copies of your evidence.  It must include your name and the date/s you received your vaccinations (not just the booking date) and it’s helpful if you double-check that the details we need can be read easily on your pic or attachment.  For further details of how to access and send your evidence see the next item.

We are aware that some relievers have not received the message, although we have sent information via StaffSync and to every WM email address.  Please can you check with relievers that they have received the information and pass on the details if they haven’t.  Where appropriate, please offer technical support to relievers who may not have access to a scanner, etc and let them know to contact the People Team to make sure they get the updates from now on. 

We also need you to identify your regular volunteers in your kindergarten.  You can talk to them about sending in their vaccination evidence or let us know who they are and we can contact them.  

We are still awaiting further information from the Ministry of Education following the publication of the Health Order over Labour weekend, so please look out for an Email Update tomorrow. 

Thanks everyone as we work together to keep everyone safe.

How To Provide Evidence Of Vaccination

The best way to get your vaccination details is through My Covid Record which you can access here.  For a step by step guide of how to register and get your vaccination information click here.

You can also send an email or text from your vaccine or medical providers, or your immunisation card.  It must include your name and the date/s you received your vaccinations (not just booking dates)

If you have any questions, please send them to covidvac@wmkindergartens.org.nz.

New Senior Teachers

We are delighted to announce that Michelle Somerville is our new Senior Teacher, who is replacing Paula Hunt. Michelle has recently been working for Massey University and elsewhere facilitating professional development for teachers.  We will introduce Michelle in greater detail in a future edition of Kōrero.  

We are also welcoming back Simone Leaupepe, who has been working with Ngāti Toa in Porirua for several months.  

Profiling Our Senior Teachers - Glenda, Fiona and Ottalie

With changes coming in how senior teachers work with kindergartens, over the next few weeks we are talking to our senior teachers about themselves and their role.

Glenda Rowe came to kindergarten as a senior teacher three years ago, and has been involved in the sector for more than 30 years.  She sees her role through a social justice lens and appreciates the chance to support families and communities.

She lives in the Wellington suburb of Miramar, and outside of kindergarten her interests are gardening, hiking and politics.

Glenda has three sons aged 12, 18 and 21.

She has a Masters of Education, and Bachelors degrees in both Education and Maori studies.

Fiona Twaddle has been a senior teacher for four years, after being head teacher at Tai Tamariki, Newtown and Matairangi Kindergartens.

Fiona’s background includes working as a police officer in Porirua and Petone, including a role in youth aid.   She says that background helps give her a broader understanding of the different circumstances of families.  She enjoyed the camaraderie of the police, and working at a community level.  Police work also emphasised the importance of education in giving children a good start in life.  

Fiona came to early childhood through her children and worked in a community centre before studying at the Christchurch College of Education.  Fiona has a Masters in Education, which included papers on leadership and working with teams.

Outside of kindergarten she has renovated several houses and enjoys gardening, fitness and (in non-Covid times) travel.

Ottalie Holme became a senior teacher last year, after working in kindergartens in Porirua, the Kapiti Coast and Horowhenua.

She lives on a 20-acre lifestyle block in Horowhenua, where she has several horses. Riding and working on the land takes up most of her spare time, and she is learning new skills like using a chain saw.

Ottalie spent many years travelling, living in Spain, Gibralter, England and Scotland in casual jobs.  Her first child was born overseas, and when the second was due Ottalie decided it was time to come home.   

She says an awareness of the power of education took her to the world of teaching and early childhood.  

She enjoys the senior teaching role because she can see the power of connections with people and what can be achieved, however she does miss the regular interaction with children. 

Ottalie has two adult children. 

 Glenda, Ottalie and Fiona

Senior Teacher Update 

Kia ora koutou katoa,  

Update re Senior Teacher model

As mentioned in last week's edition of the Kōrero the Senior Teaching team are changing the way it works, with a collective leadership model where different team members take responsibility for different areas of practice.  The team will also be working in clusters.  Click here to have a look at the Senior Teacher Collective Leadership model.

Catha, Simone, Katie, Andy, Jane, Raewyn, Michelle, Ottalie, Glenda, Fiona, Lynette, Lyn, Tania, Leanne.                                 

Students in kindergartens

As of term 4:

Lyn Wright will be the Senior Teacher responsible for students in kindergartens in the Wairarapa, Kapiti and Wellington areas.  

Katie Fry will be the person responsible for students in Whanganui and the Central Plateau.

For any queries or questions please check with either of these STs.

UKULELE Nga Pepe

Catha Ritchie will be running this music session PLD for Wairarapa teachers. The venue is Carterton Kindergarten and the date is Wednesday 3 November from 4.00pm to 5.00pm.  Please enrol through Tūhonohono. 

UPLC Meeting – term 4   

A reminder from Lynette Wray that the next UPLC meeting for Upper Hutt kindergartens is Wednesday 3 November at 3.30pm.

New Head Teacher Meeting

Our upcoming New Head Teacher Meeting will be on Wednesday 24 November, in Te Puna WMK.  Please enrol through Tūhonohono.

Mutunga Evaluation Paper

As you are aware this term Senior Teachers, Senior Head Teachers and Head Teachers will be having evaluative discussions with kaiako as part of the professional growth cycle (PGC). The one-pager, which you can access here, is to support you with these discussions and provides some prompting questions to think about and help you with your preparation for the meeting." If you have any questions about this please talk with your Senior Teacher. 

Therapy Support For Children

We are aware, from teacher feedback and feedback from our Community Navigators, that children and their whānau are struggling because of the ongoing challenges of Covid-19.

We are looking to develop a framework of therapy/counselling support for children who are exhibiting behaviours that suggest low resilience – such as anxiety, stress, anger, withdrawal, sadness, or extreme behaviours like excessive handwashing.

There will be three arms of support:

Individual children: this arm is for individual children who would benefit from referrals to therapists, play therapists, psychologists, counsellors.

Clusters of children around coping with change: this arm is for contexts in which there are clusters or groups of children who would collectively benefit from a focus on coping with change.  It is envisioned that a specialist would be commissioned to work in the kindergarten with groups, or all children.

Therapy programmes for groups of children: this arm is for small groups of children from different kindergartens to come together to participate in particular therapy programmes – eg equine therapy, art therapy.

In addition, there is the possibility of purchasing resources to support children’s well-being.

We will get more information to you as soon as possible.  In the meantime we are very keen to build up our list of professionals and services that can support this work.  If you know of any therapists, play therapists, counsellors, psychologists, or therapy services such as equine therapy, art therapy, music therapy, physical therapy  in your area, or anywhere else, please send details/link/contact information to Lyn Wright.   

Regional Staff Meetings

Below you will find dates for all our RSMs this term. Please note that , as we are still in level 2,  some venues have changed. This is a compulsory meeting for all Kaiako so put the date in your diary and check to see if there have been any changes to your venue.    

Microsoft Teams Training for Administrators

We have had several requests to repeat the Microsoft Teams training that we ran in the term break at times that work better for Kindergarten Administrators.

So we have scheduled two ZOOM options next week one on Wednesday 3 November and one on Friday 5 November in the morning.  These are now on Tūhonohono so that you can enrol.   Please email Kaz if you cannot access Tūhonohono.

We will cover both an Introduction to our new IT processes and the Working with Documents in Microsoft Teams and OneDrive in the hour long session.  The group size is small so that there will be time to ask questions.  

Please contact Lynette if you have any questions.

Learning Support

Kia ora whanau

Here is a video on Backward/Forward Chaining (Scaffolding). This is a teaching strategy that is used to build children's independence in learning!

You may find time for these videos as they only 5 minutes long.

cheers Soreen

Here is another familiar teaching strategy you may want your team to reflect on. It’s called the "Helping Hand". See how this strategy can support the development of language for your tamariki.

Only 5 minutes long!

Cheers Soreen

End of Year Celebrations

Last year we had to explore ways of supporting teams to celebrate the end of the year in this environment of Covid-19.  This was because we couldn’t have a Staff Conference where we had held our staff celebration on that first night.  We had thought about regional get togethers, but were aware that they would have to be cancelled (or postponed) if we were to move up Alert Levels. 

Unfortunately, because of Covid-19, we couldn’t have a staff conference this year either, and so this year, we will again support teams to celebrate the end of the year by providing money towards event/s that teams determine themselves.  It could be that everyone goes for dinner, or use the money to pay for an activity to do together, you may choose to join with another kindergarten.

To support you to do this, we will contribute the following amounts:

      - Up to 30 child places - $200 per team

      - Up to 40 child places - $250 per team

      - Up to 60 child places - $350 per team

      - More than 60 child places - $450 per team

You determine what you do, pay for the celebration, and we will reimburse/credit your account with the amount as above. You can make payment in the following ways:

• If you use your personal funds, you can claim reimbursement on an Employee Reimbursement form or; 
• if the place you are going to is willing to issue an invoice, send it through to us and we will pay as per normal process; or
• pay by HWM credit card

If you are coding the payment, please use account 2044 – Miscellaneous Expenses.

The payment is a gesture or contribution towards an end of year celebration that you, as a team, can choose how to enjoy.

If you have any questions, contact Mandy.   

Last year, the team at Cottle Kindergarten

had their celebration at the 

Upper Hutt Traditional Thai Restaurant:

what will they do this year?...

Appointments and Resignations

Congratulations to the following on their recent appointments:

We wish all the best to the following who have resigned:

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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