Lighting New Fires: School & Policy Updates - Term 1 Issue 1 2023 (NZCEO)

TĒNĀ KOUTOU KATOA

Kia tau te rangimārie ki a koutou 

Happy New Year! The Association of Proprietors of Integrated Schools (APIS) would like to wish our proprietors, schools boards, school leaders and staff every blessing for 2023.  

Flooding in the North Island 

It’s a shame that the excitement of a new year only lasted a few days before our communities in Northland, Auckland and the Bay of Plenty were hit with a significant and destructive flooding event. The pictures that we will have all seen in the media highlight the devastation and challenge that many communities and individual families will now be dealing with. APIS sends our love and prayers to everyone in our state integrated schools community who has been impacted by this event and hope that you have the support that you need at this time. It has been wonderful to witness the stunning level of community support as people have rolled up their sleeves and provided time and resources in looking after those in their community who have been so severely impacted by the flooding. It highlights the goodness of people and what is best in humanity. If any of our state integrated schools have been impacted by this weather event and need any advice and guidance then please do not hesitate to contact us at APIS. 

Political Advocacy 

The recent resignation of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was the first significant announcement of the New Year that will impact on the state integrated school sector. Whatever your political views and opinions on this Labour government, the role of Prime Minister is a challenging one that requires personal sacrifice and utter commitment to carry out effectively. APIS, therefore, wants to thank Prime Minister Ardern for her service to the country and for her part in navigating the country through a number of serious challenges. It is not a role for the faint hearted and we wish her well and hope that she enjoys more time with her whānau while she reassesses her future. Ngā mihi nui me te aroha nui. 

Education Minister Chris Hipkins has now been appointed the 41st Prime Minister of New Zealand and APIS is well prepared for this change having met with now Minister of Education Jan Tinetti before Christmas. Minister Tinetti was very welcoming of APIS and has agreed to meet with our organisation on a regular cycle in 2023. Her willingness to meet with us and discuss mutual issues of interest is a big step forward after the difficulties of COVID and constraints on our ability to advocate for our sector at the government level. Her understanding of the state integrated sector will be a real benefit as our sector continues to navigate a range of challenges including changing values in our society. 

The Equity Index 

You will be aware that APIS has taken an interest in the impact on state integrated schools of the implementation of the Equity Index (EQI) on operational funding. Firstly, I am grateful to the Ministry of Education for providing APIS with data that provides a high level of transparency on the impact of this new equity tool across our schools. It is also important that I acknowledge that I personally believe the EQI is a far better tool than the decile system at allocating resources to where the need is – others in our sector may not be of that view and I accept that. However, there are some elements of the implementation of the EQI that I am concerned about and that I want to comment on. 

There is no doubt that state integrated schools have been disproportionately disadvantaged under the new scheme. While 8.7% of state schools have lost operational funding approximately 30% of Catholic and 19% of non-Catholic state integrated schools are, to some degree, in this category. Whatever way you aggregate the data, state integrated schools have proportionally been disadvantaged the most by the implementation process. There are many state integrated schools who have benefitted by increased funding and I want to acknowledge this and there are valid reasons for that. However, the major concern for APIS is the number of state integrated schools in South Auckland who have lost more than $50,000 in operational funding – some as much as $100,000 to $230,000. It appears that both Treasury and the Ministry of Education were aware of the impact on schools of the EQI in South Auckland (including some state schools) but argued they did not have further resources to apply to limit the level of impact on these schools. This will have a major impact on our Pasifika communities in this region as state integrated schools reduce staffing and the levels of service they are currently providing to match their reduced budgets. This will be very disappointing given how these resources have been used in the past to support strategies to bring about such wonderful achievement outcomes in these schools. 

As a result, APIS will discuss this issue with Minister Tinetti when we meet with her in February. In the case of South Auckland, APIS believes that the EQI is missing an important metric in assessing resources under the EQI. The assumption seemingly underlying these decisions is that students in state integrated schools do not have the same risk factors due to religious values encouraging a more stable and motivated family unit who support education outcomes. That may well be the case but APIS would argue that these families are still marginalised by low income rates, having to hold multiple jobs and crowded homes and that the students from these backgrounds need these extra funds so that schools can support their very real needs. Lower decile schools in South Auckland do not have the capacity to raise other funds (through donations and international students for example) as many other schools are able to and so are doubly disadvantaged.  

Minister Tinetti does have knowledge of working as a principal in low decile schools and what is required to support these communities, so this discussion is a good one to have with her. 

EPMP 

December 2022 was a very busy month for the EPMP team who transferred over $6M to proprietors in the rush to Christmas. As at 31December 2022, APIS has transferred approximately $33M to proprietors for building work in state integrated schools. The team is targeting 2023 to distribute the remaining $21.4M EPMP funds to qualifying proprietors and over the year will move some of their effort into following up on proprietors who have received their funds in order to gauge the progress of the projects that proprietors have committed to. Please note that all EPMP work must be completed by August 2024 and both proprietors and APIS are accountable to the Ministry of Education to ensure that building projects are all completed by this date. 

Final Comment 

Our team here at NZCEO look forward to continuing to serve the state integrated school sector in 2023. There have been no changes of staff in our organisation this year and we look forward to continuing our positive relationship with all stakeholders in the year ahead. 

Ngā manaakitanga 

Kevin Shore, Chief Executive Officer 

Remembering Catherine Ryan, Catholic educator and former Principal of St Mary’s College, Wellington

By Sr Natalie Murphy rsm, Proprietor Representative, St Mary's College, Wellington, Board of Trustees

It was with great sadness that St Mary’s College, Wellington learnt of the death of Catherine Ryan on 30 January 2023.  Catherine was principal of the College from 2013 – 2019 and led the school in accord with its motto – with Wisdom and Mercy.  She came to St Mary’s from Sacred Heart College in Hamilton where she had been for 24 years as a much loved teacher, head of performing arts, and deputy principal.  She also had experience as an adviser and a national moderator for drama. Thus, she came to St Mary’s with a wealth of professional experience and wisdom as an educator and with an immense passion for Catholic education.  She supported students and teachers alike to be leaders in their respective roles at St Mary’s.  Catherine had a strong faith in God had a great love for the Catholic Character of the college, embracing the charism of the Sisters of Mercy and their foundress Catherine McAuley with great heart.  She was a woman of courage, of deep compassion and care for the students and teachers, getting to know them and reaching out to them in support.  Illness meant she had time away from the College in 2018.  Following her resignation from St Mary’s at the end of 2019, she continued to be a Kaitiaki in her work of fostering Catholic Education in different ways in the Nelson area in the following years.    Catherine McAuley said, “We should be as shining lamps, giving light to all around us”.  Catherine was such a shining light and a beacon for Catholic Education for over 30 years of her life.  Kia okioki ia i runga i te rangimarie.  May she rest in peace.

NZCEO Annual Report 2022 – we need you!

NZCEO were delighted to feature many of our wonderful Catholic schools in our 2021 annual report – see some of the pictures in the gallery below (click to enlarge) and follow this link to view the full report.

If you would like your school to feature in the annual report for 2022 there is still time to share a photo featuring your school by uploading it to our Dropbox account. Photos need to be high resolution and have permission to publish in our report.  Photos available from school websites are always welcome. This report is for Catholic proprietors and shared with our schools and also features on the NZCEO website.

We look forward to seeing your pictures!

Our Catholic Education Network

Catholic Schools Day - 2025

We last celebrated Catholic Schools day on 29 September 2021. The theme was Tūrangawaewae: Catholic Schools – A Place to Stand. The next Catholic Schools Day will be celebrated in 2025, the year after the 2024 Catholic Education Convention. The Convention was postponed due to disruption caused by COVID-19, and we hope now to return to our ordinary cycle of events. Our Catholic schools are the outward sign of a long commitment from both the Church and parents of Catholic children in “helping form Christ in the lives of others”. Catholic Schools Day provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and showcase our unique identity to both our communities and our wider nation. 

We will update you on Catholic Schools Day 2025 as we get closer to the time. The NZCEO website has a bundle of resources from the last Catholic Schools Day available to help schools prepare for this celebration:

Privacy Act 2020 - Key information for schools

The Privacy Act 2020 came into force on 1 December 2020, replacing the Privacy Act 1993. The 2020 Act was intended to strengthen privacy protections, and enhance the role of the Privacy Commissioner. A key purpose of the Act is to give individuals more control over their personal information.

Significant changes which came into force in 2020 include the requirement that if a business or organisation has a privacy breach that has caused serious harm to someone (or is likely to do so), it will need to notify the Office of the Privacy Commissioner as soon as possible. In addition, the Privacy Commissioner will now be able to issue compliance notices requiring a business or organisation to do something, or stop doing something, if it is not meeting its obligations under the Privacy Act.

All schools need to have a privacy officer, and every board of trustees needs to make sure it has appointed a privacy officer. The privacy officer is the person who is responsible for encouraging the school to comply with the Privacy Act and handling any requests under the Privacy Act. In short, they are the person who takes responsibility for privacy and personal information. The privacy officer should be someone who is interested in privacy and wants to improve the school’s practise in this area. Key responsibilities of a privacy officer include dealing with requests made under the Privacy Act, working with the Privacy Commissioner's office when someone makes a privacy complaint, encouraging the school to comply with the Privacy Act, and helping staff understand their responsibilities under the Act.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner has made available a free and interactive online course to help schools understand their responsibilities. This can be accessed here:

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner has put together a wide range of resources to help individuals and organisations understand the new Act:

• The Privacy Act 2020 is structured around 13 information privacy principles relating to how an organisation can collect, store, and use personal information. Here is a quick guide to the updated Privacy Principles. A full guide to the privacy principles is here. 
• A summary of the key changes in the new Act and what they mean for individuals and organisations.
• 'Priv-o-matic' - a user friendly Privacy Statement Generator.
• A Privacy Impact Assessment Toolkit.
• 'NotifyUs' - an online tool to help work out if privacy breaches are notifiable and report them. 
• A series of online training modules at the Privacy Commissioner's eLearning site. (Free registration required). 

The Ministry of Education website has produced a guide to the Privacy Act for schools and early childcare centres:

Caritas update

As we launch into the new school year the Caritas Education Team want to remind everyone about key events and dates regarding the different Caritas related initiatives that are coming up at the start of this year. We can once again work together to be agents of change and champions of justice.

Lent 2023

The theme for the Caritas Lent resources in 2023 is I am the Light of the World / Ko ahau te whakamārama o te ao. The focus country for these resources is Fiji and each week there is a special focus that connects closely to both the Gospel story and a Caritas case study. These all link to the overarching theme of being light in the world. There are also a range of student activities and resources for each week of Lent.

The Teacher Guide is a great place to start and has everything needed to plan a dynamic and faith filled Lenten learning programme. There is also a special junior and senior Stations of the Cross liturgy that has been developed and a fun, practical and easy to use Action Plan that will bring Lent alive for students. These resources are now available online.

Staff groups and teachers are invited to join the Caritas education team for a short and informative online workshop on Wednesday 15^th February from 3:30-4:15pm to unpack and explain all the available resources. E-mail education@caritas.org.nz for the Zoom link if you are keen to join.

Caritas Justice Chats

Caritas Justice Chats are back in 2023 and will take place during March. The aim of these sessions is to inspire and support students to become active leaders of social justice, peace and change in their schools and to use the principles of Catholic social teaching in the process. There are 7 primary and 4 senior sessions available. All sessions will take place via Zoom. More can be found online about these chats and schools can book their place here.

Caritas Challenge in 2023

In 2023 we can all help make a lifetime of change for communities in Fiji by taking on the Caritas Challenge. Take on an activity to raise awareness of social justice and find sponsors to join you on the adventure. This nationwide event is fun and can be carried out at any time during the year. Resources are available online and your school/group can register today! Check out the promo video and get in touch to get your free pack with shirts, pens and posters. Let's make a real difference together.

YCC Day

The legacy of Mufti Mania continues as the new re-branded YCC Day. For more information about YCC Day visit our website. In 2023 we will celebrate YCC Day on Friday 30 June, and we are supporting a school in Timor Leste with no working toilets. Mark this date in your school calendar so that you can join other young Catholics across New Zealand as we come together for a good cause and have fun by wearing non-uniform for the small cost of a gold coin.

Caritas Competitions

The SINGout4JUSTICE competition takes on a new format for 2023. This year is performance year! Students can perform their favourite song with an inspiring message for justice and peace. This competition is open to all students - both primary and secondary level. They can do it by themselves or as a group. There are 3 categories; Year 6 and under, Year 7 - 10, Year 11-13. Closing date for entries is Tuesday 1 August 2023.

The KAITIAKI2SHARE competition is back in 2023. Students across all Catholic schools in New Zealand are encouraged to share their unique, creative and thoughtful ideas around how we can care for all of God's creation. The theme is: ACT TODAY FOR A BETTER TOMORROW. Prizes will be awarded across all year levels and all ages. The competition closes on Tuesday 13 June 2023.

Social Justice Week 2023

Social Justice Week will take place from September 3-9 and will explore ideas around responding to conflict and being peacebuilders. We'd love to hear from you if you have any ideas on the topic or examples of case studies in Aotearoa New Zealand and other potential resources.

Get in Touch

For any resource orders or queries contact the team at michaels@caritas.org.nz or justine@caritas.org.nz   

For more education related information check out the website at www.caritas.org.nz/schools

Safeguarding in the Catholic Church

The NZ Catholic Bishops are committed to fostering a culture of safeguarding in the Church. All of us, as a Catholic community, have a responsibility to value all people and protect them from harm, and create environments where people are welcome and safe. The first course for 2023 starts March 01 and every first day of the month thereafter. To learn more or to register, go to www.tekupenga.ac.nz/safeguarding.

How do we respond to the challenges of providing effective faith formation in our Catholic school?

In late 2022 the Australian National Catholic Education Commission released a new document entitled A Framework for Student Faith Formation in Catholic Schools. Even though it provides data and commentary about the Australian context, we face many of the same issues and challenges in Aotearoa New Zealand's Catholic schools. Therefore, many of the document's insights will be of value to Catholic schools in Aotearoa New Zealand. In bringing the document to your attention I suggest that as we begin the new school year it could be an ideal time to examine what we offer as faith formation for students and how effective it is in nurturing their faith.

The Framework’s  purpose is to reflect on the faith formation of students, to enliven discussion on the goals of Catholic education and assist schools to participate in the mission of the Church in sharing the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. The Framework highlights the prime purpose of Catholic schools as a place where young people’s faith is supported so that they grow in religious self-understanding, spirituality and participation in the community of faith.  It is aimed at all staff in Catholic schools given the critical role they play in the faith formation of students. It also recognises the intrinsic value of parents/caregivers as first teachers and the partnership between them and the school and parish in the formation of young people.

In noting that “Catholic schools and the Church face challenges in providing faith formation that is effective” (page 6), the document endeavours to respond to the following questions:

• What does authentic faith formation look like in a secularised culture that values individualism?
• How is faith formation effective in a culture in which traditions are less influential than in decades past?
• How do schools with students of various religious backgrounds engage in faith formation in ways which honour religious freedom for all students?
• The Church speaks of the family as “the domestic Church”[1] and parents have the primary responsibility for their children’s education in faith. With many families having little connection with the life of the parish community, what are the new opportunities for schools to support and partner with parents and caregivers in faith formation?
• How does the school partner with the local church community, which itself is often facing challenges with renewal and with welcoming children, young people and families? (page 6)

The Framework explores the language of formation, emphasing that faith formation is integrated with the formation of the whole person. Thus the school encourages the growth of children and young people in the fullness of their humanity; intellectually, physically, socially, emotionally, morally and spiritually. It aligns faith formation with the evangelising mission of the Church to share and live the person and mission of Jesus Christ by word and witness. This is the main aim of school life and is bought forward through the components of Catholic special character including the identity  and practices, charism/s, classroom learning and the witness of people living their faith as disciples of Jesus Christ. In exploring formation, the document responds to the call of Pope Francis for the Church (of which the school is part) to meet children and young people where they are at if it is to fully engage them.[2] In order to understand this, the document provides some discussion questions (page 18) that would be a good starting point in understanding the identity, stories, culture and religious background of students in your school. Having this data would help in providing fit for purpose and culturally appropriate formation that will make a difference in the faith life of students. Considering this information educators will also need to contemplate how children and young people grow in faith, what the stages of faith development are, and what do they need to consider in order to accompany them.

A student activity, on page 20, intends to lead a dialogue about what are the main factors that influence, shape and form children and young people, particularly in relation to religious belief and practice. In using this schools should take into consideration the age and context of students while respecting the privacy and dignity of students. This activity could also be a staff activity with staff imagining their cohort and taking on the role of the students. The Framework concludes with a list (including definitions) of the core elements and forms of faith formation as a basis for formulating, delivering and evaluating the faith formation of students according to the vision outlined in the Framework.  Amongst these are more staff activities to broaden a reflection process. The elements should be read in conjunction with our own description, inputs and outcomes of Catholic special character as outlined in He Arotake Whanaketanga mō te Mātauranga Ahurea Katorika-Te Ture Tāuke mō ngā Kura Katrorika: Catholic Special Character Evaluation for Development document.

A copy of the Framework can be found here. I hope you find it of value and that it especially begins/continues dialogue in your school on the effective formation of your students.

Rosalie Connors, Manager, Special Character, NZCEO

[1] Second Vatican Council (1964). Lumen Gentium: Dogmatic Constitution of the Church, n.11

[2] Francis (2018). Address by His Holiness Pope Francis at the opening of the Synod of Bishops on Young People, The Faith and Vocational Discernment.

Identity: Identified... Navigating the Challenges of Life

Identity:Identified is a unique young person’s Catholic New Testament, designed for teenagers who wouldn’t normally read Sacred Scripture and who struggle to identify their calling in life and what God has planned for them.

A key element is the inclusion of 24 x 4 page inserts addressing each of the big challenges in life for teenagers, that were discussed at the Synod on Youth in 2008.

The material is from a variety of contributors and addresses the issues from a Catholic perspective. Topics include;

• Lonlieness
• Peer Pressure
• Living in a sexualised world
• On-line bullying
• Coping with rejection
• Why am I here
• Where is God when it hurts
• Why am I so anxious
• Making good choices
• Is life really worth living (to mention a few).

This material was written by bishops and theologians from seven countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including Cardinal John Dew (New Zealand), Archbishop Mark Coleridge (Australia), the late Cardinal Sim (Borneo), Archbishop Simon Poh (Malaysia), Bishop Broderick Pabillo (Philippines), Bishop Michael Dooley (New Zealand) and others.

This unique production comprises the revised Good New translation of the New Testament with hundreds of passages highlighted that touch on some of the above issues.

There are also 32 QR codes throughout that link to videos of young people and others talking about their struggles and how they managed to get through, and the part Scripture helped.

In addition, there is a downloadable App that links to the inserts, videos and the daily readings. 

This special New Testament has recently been launched in Malaysia and across the Asia-Pacific region and is about to be released in New Zealand and Australia, before being translated into several other languages.

For more details you can contact the developer of the project, John Bergin, who is the Catholic Advisor to Bible Societies throughout the region: John.bergin@biblesociety.org.nz

 Click below to check out the website:

Catholics educators in the New Year Honours list

Among those who received New Year Honours 2023 were  people who have made significant contributions to Catholic education.

Christopher Stephen Rooney was also made Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to education. Mr Rooney worked at Liston College in Auckland for 45 years and was principal from 1999 until 2021, overseeing growth and high achievement. During Mr Rooney’s tenure as principal, the college saw increased academic success of Māori and Pacific students, with Māori the highest achieving group in the school, as well as significant expansion of facilities and upgrading of sports fields. He introduced restorative justice practices and ensured staff were trained in their use, transforming student/staff relationships in the school community, and making it a more inclusive and caring environment for learning. Mr Rooney was chairman of Achievement at Waitakere (A@W) from 2013 to 2015, a group of West Auckland principals, and has been a member since 1999. He was also chairman of the National Catholic Secondary Principals’ Association from 2016 to 2021, and of the Auckland Catholic Secondary Principals’ Association from 2017 to 2021. He is on the Liston College Foundation Fund Board, the board of Learning Network New Zealand, and is a committee member of the Ned Covich Trust. Mr Rooney has been active with the Auckland Secondary Schools Principals’ Association.

Margaret Anne Bourke was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal for her services to the community. Mrs Bourke was involved in education institutions since 1976. This includes stints at the Lansdowne Kindergarten, Wairarapa Free Kindergarten Association, Chanel College, Wairarapa Secondary School’s Board and School Trustees Association as president, vice-president, chair, parent representative and delegate. She was also a community board member and Early Childhood and STA representative with the Wairarapa Rural Education Activities Programme between 1986 and 2011. Mrs Bourke was the board secretary of the Wairarapa Citizens Advice Bureau for four years, and was a volunteer at the Aratoi Museum of Art and History. She was a member of the Catholic Parish of Wairarapa parish council between 2018 and 2019, and has been a lay reader and church cleaner for more than 30 years.  She held various positions with the Wairarapa Plunket branch since 1980, and was president of the branch from 2003 to 2007. She also became president of the Wellington Area Society.

Professor Edwina Pio, chair of the academic advisory board of Te Kupenga Catholic Theological College, was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to ethnic communities. Professor Pio is an internationally respected management expert in the field of diversity, and is the country’s first and only professor of diversity at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) Business School. She was involved with the Human Rights Commission in developing guidelines for religion in the workplace. She wrote the book “Work and Worship” in 2014, which investigated the impact of minority religions in the New Zealand workplace, and how business leaders welcome this growing community. She also wrote about the immigration experiences of Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin American and African people in New Zealand in her books “Sari” and “Longing and Belonging”. She worked with the Ministry for Ethnic Communities and the New Zealand Police, and provided free counselling services to migrants as a registered counsellor. Professor Pio is also a member of the Ministerial Advisory Group on the Government’s Response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the 2019 terrorist attack on Christchurch mosques.

Congratulations to New Principals

Our warm congratulations to the following new principals:

Auckland Diocese

Marina Binns at St John's School, Mairangi Bay, Auckland

Hamilton Diocese

Andrea Devane at St Joseph's Catholic School, Morrinsville

Palmerston North Diocese

Belinda Blackwell at St Marcellin School, Whanganui

Phil Gunn at St Mary's School, Foxton

Anthony McBride at Cullinane College, Whanganui

Wellington Archdiocese

Matt Kolic at St Anne's School, Newtown, Wellington

Christchurch Diocese

Jon McDowall at St Bede's College, Christchurch

Get your Digital Strategy sorted for 2023

Digital technology in constantly evolving.

You need a well-formed digital strategy so you can:

• Optimise your school’s resources
• Free-up teachers time
• Prepare your students for the future

Your local TWGB team can work with you to co-construct a holistic digital framework.

Check out the video to learn more:

To register your interest and have the TWGB team support you on this journey, please fill out this short form: