Lighting New Fires: School & Policy Updates - November 2022 (NZCEO)

TĒNĀ KOUTOU KATOA

Kia tau te rangimārie ki a koutou 

I was greeted  as I came into work recently by a “Happy All Saints Day to you!” In the Catholic Church, and many other Christian churches, November 1st is a day to remember those who have gone before us who have lived wonderful, saintly lives and who exemplify what is good about humanity. There was a certain irony in this greeting to me, given I was grumbling under my breath about having to get another legal opinion in support of state integrated schools as another critic of our system decided to enter my life. As CEO of APIS (Association of Proprietors of Integrated Schools), I seem to have been very good at providing opportunities for the legal profession even though, as a result, I have come to admire the skills of professionals such as Lucila van Dam and Kris Morrison and the work they have done on behalf of APIS in 2021/2022. The lesson for me is to see the positives in the negatives and to be a patient and decent person. 

APIS has managed to negotiate a second meeting with Minister Tinetti in December and the CEO is grateful for her willingness to meet with us and for her interest in state integrated education. It has been a very difficult period to advocate for the interests of state integrated education while in the midst of a pandemic and these opportunities are like gold as we build a relationship with a relatively new minister. The focus of this meeting will be on the protection of special character within a state education system, discussion of some of the recent and current legal challenges, and pathways towards improving opportunities for the state integrated sector to have a voice. APIS is grateful to have this opportunity and it is appreciated. 

I have been approached by some principals of state integrated schools which have lost a significant amount of their operations grant as a result of the implementation of the EQI (Equity Index). It is difficult to get the transparency needed to understand the individual decisions, but the CEO has asked the Ministry of Education for some summative data, and they are responding to this through an OIA (Official Information Act) application process. If the information that comes back from the Ministry is not sufficient to provide the necessary clarity, then APIS may request specific information from state integrated schools through a simple e-survey. If this is the case, I would ask that you support our organisation in any requests for this information. Information gathered by APIS would be treated in confidence and this data would not be published but would only be used to inform the sector. 

Ngā manaakitanga 

Kevin Shore , Chief Executive Officer 

Missing Out - Why Aren't Our Children Going to School

This morning Te Ihuwaka Education Evaluation Centre (part of ERO) released a report  titled Missing Out - Why Aren't Our Children Going to School. This important report highlights a concerning decline in school attendance rates across the country, and discusses the social and economic factors behind this worrying trend. 

The full document is available here, a downloadable version of the Summary Document is below.

Mana Tapu Grace – From Salads to Sacraments: The presence of God

The final session in the 2022 Te Kupenga and NZCEO Symposium series was held yesterday. Colin Macleod, Director of the National Centre for Religious Studies, led a discussion on the theme Mana Tapu Grace – From Salads to Sacraments: The presence of God. A recording of the symposium is available below. This video will also be uploaded to our website. 

Aspiring Leaders Programme 2023-24

This programme is to support teachers, Directors of Religious Studies, Deputy Principals and Assistant Principals who are seeking to grow their careers in Catholic education.  The focus is on growing faith leaders who have the capabilities to lead for the mission of the Church and therefore the school.

The programme will be limited to 25 people who are intending to move into the next leadership level in a Catholic school within the next three years. Please note that there are limited places left in the 2023/4 intake. 

The Aspiring Leaders’ Programme 2023-2024 consists of:

• Two days in Wellington-May 8 & 9 2023 at the Home of Compassion, Island Bay.
• A series of regular online workshops and seminars providing further support and development opportunities for participants. These are held approximately two monthly outside of normal teaching hours.
• A final one-day in Wellington (date to be advised)

In 2021-2022 the modules for the three face to face gatherings included:

• A time of spiritual reflection and prayer
• A brief history of Catholic education in Aotearoa New Zealand
• Purpose and goals of Catholic education
• Leadership habits and skills/Building Catholic culture
• Faith Leadership in a Catholic school
• Leadership and Mission
• Catholic social teaching and decision-making
• Expectation and resilience: The application process
• Preparation for your future career in a Catholic school

 In 2023-24 some modules will remain the same and others will change depending on the group’s requirements.

There is no registration fee and NZCEO will pay for accommodation at the Home of Compassion on 8 May 2023. If there is insufficient accommodation there, NZCEO will pay up to $100 per person at an alternative hotel or motel on receipt of a tax invoice and proof of payment.  The only other cost to participants will be travel and an evening meal on 8 May.

If you have further questions about the programme please email Rosalie Connors, Manager, Special Character, NZCEO r.connors@nzceo.org.nz

To register click below:

Stella Maris Catholic Early Childhood Centre

Stella Maris Te Aho Tāhuhu O Te Mātauranga Katorika, the Catholic Early Childhood centre opened in Gisborne on 8 August and was blessed by Bishop Steve Lowe in a joyful occasion on 23 August.

A hardworking and committed group made up of people from the Hamilton Diocese, St Mary’s primary school and the parish community created a committee and worked and fundraised tirelessly to make this centre come alive.

Stella Maris will support children’s faith development in partnership with whānau, community and parish. 

You can visit the Stella Maris website at the link below:

Help us make BYOD even easier

We are always looking for ways to improve the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) experience for schools, students, and their parents. That’s why we’re asking for your help. Let us know what device(s) your school uses in the classroom, and we’ll use that information to help parents choose the right device for their children.

At Noel Leeming Commercial, we work hard to provide the best BYOD experience for schools, students, and parents/guardians. For BYOD 2023, we want to make it as easy as possible for your school community to find the right device at the best price. But we need your help!

Please take a minute out of your day to let us know what device(s) your school uses in the classroom. We’ll use this information to build a ‘Device Finder’ that can be used by school communities around the country. This special part of the Noel Leeming website will allow parents/guardians to select your school and see all the devices that you recommend, based on the platform(s) your school uses.

We will also be able to provide you with a unique link that will skip the finder and take parents/ guardians directly to a page for your school, which lists the appropriate devices. These pages will be automatically updated with the latest products and prices so parents/guardians can make informed decisions and make sure their child is equipped with the right device.

Help us make 2023 your easiest BYOD year yet, by completing this 1-minute survey: