Safety and Supervision

I had wonderful pleasure of having my just 5 year old nephew Benji come and stay over the holidays. He is a very active boy and extremely well co-ordinated, totally immersed in any sport and unfortunately the rougher the better. He seems to think I am a really good challenge, likes to wrestle me and tackle me and of course I indulge this, to a point!! We also indulged his insistence to go the the skate park as he had been at Christmas time with my other nephew Daniel whom he worships. I think the skate park is a fabulous resource for Timaru youth and young people although I am cautious about when I take kids to visit. Leaving early in the morning knowing that some of the less desirable role models wouldn't be out of bed yet we turned up to find two other boys there. I was pleased as I knew these two boys and knew them to be sensible kids. After having a discussion and almost altercation over Benji wearing the the knees pads, elbow pads, wrist guards and helmet he ventured out. I do need to make it clear that he is a tough little critter, and has grown up in a very physical and challenging environment - where he has been encouraged to take risks more so than permitted in our very compliant risk conscious environment of schools and playgrounds. We did think the risk of him injuring himself at the skate park was high given his combined enthusiastic attitude, confidence and actual experience in this type of environment on his scooter and skateboard. He was reminded how even adults fall over and break bones. Whilst I was most concerned when one of the other boys came off his scooter with a tremendously hard fall which left him rather shaken and quiet for some time, I think Benji realised that maybe the pads were a good idea at this stage. m Given the number of scraps and scratches on them later I suspect it saved quite a few sticking plasters also. So what is my point in writing about this? Whilst sitting watching, encouraging and boosting him along I had time to think and observe all the others who gradually arrived to do the same, have fun, take risks, try new thing s out and watch how the r"really cool" kids did it. I was pleased when I said to one of the older boys who swore, "hey there is no need for that here," that he did not back chat me but simply stopped swearing. What I noticed also was also the number of adults who also came and sat and just watched from a distance. Some adults who dropped their child off with a snack and obviously a clear time frame around pick up. all of this made me feel more hopeful. Because just as we had provided Benji with his pads and guards until he is more confident and more safe to go with out them these parents and adults were also scaffolding and supporting their child at their stage of development too. I also think that those boys that were down there that I knew thought it was quite cool to see someone supporting this little guy and I suspect felt even more comfortable simply because there were adults around even if they were very unobtrusive. Of course these boys have heard me again and again about the importance of role models but here they were being great role models to my wee nephew and it made me proud. It gave me hope because the day before I had observed a group of boys 6 of them, approximately year 8 "hanging around on their skateboards " with no obvious adult attention , buying fish and chips and moving on in group almost "pack like" I felt concerned. To me these boys looked like they would be intimidating as a group ( without even intending to be) and I wondered what their parents thought they were doing, who they were with and where they were? These kids are legally not able to be left unsupervised if they were at home, yet they are out and about with whom and where? And of course we hear it again and again , the term peer pressure. Peer pressure and group mentality when harnessed in the right direction is awesomely powerful however it can cause many very sensible individuals to do some silly things, not to mention unsupervised at risk young people. The best scaffold a parent can give their child is the knowledge that they know where they are and who they are with and what they are doing and that they will check up!!

What Parents do ....

When you listen to news and read the headlines these days it is easy to get disillusioned about where society is heading. I am always so reassured about the future and our kids future when I see just what parents do. In the last few weeks I have seen parents

• sewing costumes
• making soup
• putting endless books and readers away at school
• cooking sausages at a band practice
• standing in the freezing cold watching their children play hockey, soccer and netball
• standing in the glorious sun to catch a glimpse of their child as they run the cross country
• transporting them to band play-outs
• dropping off instruments for music practice
• parking their car so they can walk to school with their child and their friends, and racing off to work
• sitting in on te reo Maori lessons with their child
• turning up to assembly to watch their child's class run assembly
• listening to their child sing the same songs over and over again so they know them by heart for their musical production
• ringing the school to find out how a long the show will be so they know how much time they need to take off work
• taking hockey, netball and mini-ball practice after school
• popping in to help with sport
• turning up each day for parent help in the class
• helping with PMP
• and I could go on and on...

These are just some of the examples of what parents do - they make such a positive difference in their own and other children's lives by simply being their and providing another adult for children to see in a positive supportive and caring role. Of course this is the only some of the stuff I see, I don't see what happens at home but I can tell when a child has had adults take an active interest in them by talking about their day, ensuring they are ready to learn the next day by being well fed, rested and prepared for the school day. All of this helps children make the most of these developmental years and also provides them with an example of parenting for their future. Not all children have the same advantages and access to positive adults and role models fro a huge array of reasons beyond their control. Everytime you you are doing something with and fro your child that benefits another you are potentially making a difference to someone else's future. What an awesome responsibility and legacy, so keep up the good work and realise the value you add every day.

Science week

This week we tried a new initiative with a science week. We often find that students perceptions of science are those they get from a more formalised view of labs and test tubes and Bunsen burners. However science is everywhere and this week we endeavoured to really reinforce this. The staff chose an area of science which would both appeal to children and be relevant to their everyday world. Over the week each class visited 8 different classrooms and teachers and explored 8 different areas of science. This has been hugely successful on so many levels. The teachers loved being exposed to different students and meeting them in this way and for some it was with an age level they really have had minimal experience of. I must say it was great to see the year 8 teachers working with Junior students and vice versa. I think they realised that they were really just the same simply a operating at a different level, the beauty of our students is that they are so motivated and curious. There was a real buzz in the school.
There will be photos on the website under "What's Happening?"

Learning and Words

During the term break I attended an excellent conference, NZEALS the New Zealand Educational Administration Leaders Conference. It is an international conference held every two years and it attracts people from all sectors of education ; early childhood, primary secondary, tertiary, polytechnics, training providers, Ministry of Education and Education Review Office. It is a conference I enjoy because it looks at the Macro issues, the big picture with leadership in education . I find it a useful time to reflect on my role as a leader and also an educator and always come back re-invigorated with an increased list of things to do and think about ...... Not always easy on the staff so I gradually drip feed my ideas and sow seeds as good things taken time. Two quotes that were used which I enjoyed were..



Good news time flies

Bad news you're the pilot...



I used to be uncertain – now I’m not so sure ..........



I use quotes a lot with both staff and students as I find that they often provide real prompts and cues for thinking and often something to help clarify your thinking. The one that we have on the board in our conference room where the leadership team and Board meets provides me with daily motivation.;

You don't need to be sick to get better.

It is a little like our school Motto; STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE

Whaia te iti kahurangi- me he tuohu koe ki te maunga teitei

which translates as; Pursue your dream to the fullest,

If you should fail let it be to a lofty mountain

The Impact of Role Models

Today I saw a very real example of the importance of role models to our students. Our Kapahaka has been working hard this year and for three weeks now we have had the support of some very talented secondary students. These boys or young men have given their time to come over for their lunch hour each Wednesday to work with our boys on their haka. I was at the practice today when I saw them enter the room and there was marked change in atmosphere. Our students afforded these young people real respect, yes some of it would be because they are cool big kids, but most of it was because they were spending some time with them, valuing them and sharing their skills. The level of performance and engagement rose. I spoke with the three young people afterwards and told them how impressed I was with their generosity and commitment and they were humble but also very pleased to have been asked. I was particularly proud to acknowledge one of these fine young men as he was a past pupil. The sense of pride you experience when you see these young people contributing in this way gives me strong hope for the future of all young people. We are all role models to those younger than ourselves, and we can make a huge difference by simply taking time to acknowledge the efforts of others.

It reminds me of a quote....
"I may forget what you said, but I'll never forget how you made me feel." unknown

Busy Week

This week has been an incredibly busy week at Waimataitai. I needed to keep checking my diary more than usual just to see where I was meant to be there was so much on and then I still didn't manage to make it to some things, however I really can't be in two places at once. After you have finished reading this I suggest you check out the other class blogs particularly those In Learning Team 2 as they have had a very culinary week!! Today I enjoyed a very tasty Mexican meal at Room 4's "Amigo's Restaurant". All week I have been treated to a dining experience in with the classes in Learning Team 2 - a great effort. This would not have been possible without the enthusiastic and supportive response and input from the parents of these children. The look of delight on the faces of the students when they saw their parents arrive to be seated for their meal and the pride of the parents as they experienced what was very good service ( think we could teach some others a thing or two!!). I would be interested to know if the skills displayed this week transfer to home??????
There was also the South Canterbury Swimming Sports and I was delighted to hear the feedback of those who attended - that our students were outstanding in their behaviour and attitude ( of course) as I was unable to get there.

We had two of the Otago Nuggets ( basketballers) visit today and they spent some time with 20 of our more enthusiastic basketballers. It was great to hear them say our students displayed the best fundamental basketball skills they have seen to date and they also added - and "we have been to a lot of schools".

Our week finished off with the "House Tug of War". Great to see so many parents turn up and then to take each other on in house teams. These things create the memorable moments in your children's minds, the times when they realise just how important they are when they see their parents taking part. Great effort and thanks for making a difference in your child's life.

Waimataitai Winning Wai learners

What great effort well done Waimataitai, Tino pai te mahi

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Support for Student learning

I have just had a lovely weekend away At Moeraki and I have done a lot of thinking about our school. I arrived home a little too late to get to Top Schools but was pleased to receive the message that our year 4 team had won and Waimataitai had one over all. The comment was made what great groups of kids and superb parents. A really good example of team players and support for kids and family.

Last Thursday we had our first student learning conferences for the year. These are always a highlight for me as I really enjoy seeing everyone being excited about them. I know the staff enjoy these too, despite it being a long day they come in for their light tea buzzing about how proud they are of the kids and how much they appreciate the parents interest and follow up. It is amazing to think that for years we have met with parents without the student and thought this would help the child's learning. All it does really is undermine the child and their ownership of their learning. I am not saying there is not a place for parents to meet with the teacher without the child present as there certainly are occasions when this is appropriate but if we are talking about supporting children's learning we need the three parts to the partnership there; the learner , the parents or whanau and the school.
We are really trying to instill in our students the fact that learning goes on everywhere not just school but in every experience we have and that is where parents are the vital support. All the conversations that go on at home while you are eating at the table or drying the dishes or driving the car all reinforce our learning and our understanding of the world we live in. One of the things we are hoping to see happen is that the concept of our Wai learner being a happy, motivated, reflective, respectful, curious team player is also seen at home. School is only one contributor to children's learning and parents have a huge role by taking an interest in whatever their child is doing or showing enthusiasm for.
We are all in this together.


I spent Friday afternoon learning how to fill in the cricket log whilst our boys Milo cricket team played ST Josephs Timaru. What a great team - I was really impressed with the way they were so supportive of each others efforts with positive comments and put ups. They were disappointed that they lost but they were able to see what they had done well and acknowledge that and also identified some areas they could work on. Very reflective and admirable qualities.

I think the most rewarding part of my job is seeing kids really motivated and engaged and proud of their achievements and when you have watched grow up to see these fine young people it is very encouraging for the future. After all it is in our hands, all of us.

School Swimming Sports 10 March

The school swimming sports were very successful this year in terms of participation with almost every student participating in at least two events. I am hopeful we are over the days of students convincing their parents they need a note as this type of collusion really does nothing to support students in the long run. This used to happen a few years ago, and quite a lot. Michelle Johannsson and her great group of parents and staff ensured that we were able to get through all the events. I can't help but be a little concerned though that the general standard of swimming appears to be declining over time. I do realise it is impossible for us to teach children to swim really well given the time we get in the pool but I feel that many students appear to have had little time to even practice the skills they have. Some schools have stopped swimming altogether because they feel it is pointless in terms of access and progress made, but living right here in Timaru beside the sea and surrounded by all the lakes and rivers in South Canterbury I feel very strongly that we need to do something. I am unsure of the answer but I am not totally convinced our new aquatic complex will address this either especially when we will have all schools seeking time in one venue rather than two. I would be really interested in anyone's thoughts on how we better support our kids to learn to swim.

School Fair

Our school fair on Saturday was amazing. The weather was on our side and everyone was in a great mood for a fun day. It was great to see so many people turned out to enjoy the fair. We raised $7000. This was a good example of the team players we have at our school. People got in and helped and everyone's effort paid off. Thank you to everyone for their donations of goods, time and effort it all meant we had a great day.

Our Principal

Your enthusiasm is contagious and motivates the staff and students at Waimataitai School

Becoming a Blogger

I am learning to Blog, everyone said it is really easy and I thought that this might a be a good way to share some of my thinking with our students, staff, parents and wider community. I have a great deal to learn but I love learning new things and get really excited when I achieve something new. I also really enjoy my job and what I do and love to talk about it so I guess this is also another way of doing it except people can choose to read it or not and that seems pretty fair to me.