Tēnā Koutou Katoa

New Year Greetings to you all. I trust you have had a rest over this rather modest summer and are refreshed and ready for the New Year.

Every year begins with some challenges but always with a sense of excitement for what is to come.

On that note, in December I tendered my resignation as CEO to the NZCEO Board. The Board has begun a process of appointing a new CEO to take up the role in the middle of the year. The advertisement is on our web site and is also in this newsletter. We are looking to have a seamless transition for this change so that there will be some period of crossover.

At the end of 2019 APIS challenged the government over two issues.

We expressed concern at the exclusion of state integrated schools from the Government’s announcement of the $400 million for capital maintenance of schools. We are working closely with legal counsel and have set in place a process to review this decision. I do not intend to litigate this in the media at this time but we all have to remember that this is an election year. Any government is vulnerable to the voting power of such a large group of parents and past pupils who believe in our cause. It is a matter of justice and we will share progress with you as we can. I expect to update the sector as and when it is appropriate.

Late last year a number of Principals who had been included in the first roll out of the Learning Support Co-ordinators (LSC) contacted this office with concerns about the funding of the new spaces for the people who would be employed in this roll. Where schools are at capacity for space then there is an entitlement of 15sq mt for each office of a LNS co-ordinator. It appeared that the Ministry was not going to fund the integrated schools for this space when it was required. Following urgent communications with the Secretary for Education and the Minister I can advise that the Government do intend to follow the spirit of the 2016 Memorandum which provides for 85% of the costs of any new building associated with a policy change. Proprietors will have responsibility for some costs so schools will need to work closely with their proprietors. There is still work to do for both state and state integrated schools in this space and a hui will held in both islands at the end of the holidays for those Kahui Ako who are involved.  This office would be keen to hear of any issues arising with the implementation of the policy.

The NZCEO office welcomed Rosalie Connors as our new Manager Special Character at the beginning of 2020. Rosalie comes with a strong background in Special Character work and is settling and familiarising herself with the many functions of the role. Later in the year we expect to travel and meet many of you in your communities.

NZSTA  - Green Paper – Now What for schooling in New Zealand. A school trusteeship lens on the proposed education sector reforms.

NZSTA have released a paper responding to the Governments reviews. The paper is a comprehensive response to many of the proposed reforms from the point of view of Trustees. It includes some very good points about future reforms but at no time does it make any reference to the 11.4% of the network that involves trustees who represent State Integrated Schools.

State Integrated Schools will need to be vigilant that the current government administration does not come to believe that we are outside the state system. We are an integral part of the state school system which is something we have had to remind the government of during this latest building dispute.

Ngā mihi nui

Paul Ferris

Chief Executive Officer.

Chief Executive

NZCEO and Association of Proprietors of Integrated Schools (APIS) 

The CEO of NZCEO and APIS will be a leader who can influence policy, maintain relationships with key sectors, is ambitious for the sector, courageous about change and prudent with risk.  We are seeking a qualified experienced leader who can lead a small team to engage with all stakeholders and provide leadership around an agreed strategic plan. They will deliver high quality responsive leadership to 11% of the schooling sector in New Zealand.

Applicants will have core competencies in building teams, strategic leadership, business administration, quality operational delivery. They will be a persuasive communicator, a strong supporter of our bi-cultural and cross cultural heritage. This person of integrity will most likely have had experience in faith based, not for profit roles which will provide confidence to their Catholic shareholders and wider church based communities. The role is based at the New Zealand Catholic Education Office, Wellington.

Enquiries to p.ferris@nzceo.org.nz for job description and person description.

Applications close February 10^th 2020

Applications to The Chairperson, gtr@oeg.co.nz

Educational leader Dr Areti Metuamate has been appointed as the inaugural Chief Executive of Te Kupenga – Catholic Leadership Institute.

Dr Metuamate is of Ngāti Kauwhata, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Ngāti Hauā and Cook Islands descent. He was raised in Feilding where he attended Hato Pāora College. He graduated from Victoria University of Wellington and the Australian National University, where his PhD was in Pacific leadership. He has held advisory and leadership roles in both the public and tertiary education sectors, most recently as dean of St Mark's College in Adelaide, Australia.

Currently based in Adelaide, he will return to Wellington with his wife, Dr Jessa Rogers-Metuamate, a distinguished Indigenous academic, educator, board director, and artist from Australia’s Wiradjuri peoples whose international research has included working with students of St Joseph's Maori Girls' College in Napier.

Te Kupenga was formed on 1 January by merging Good Shepherd College with The Catholic Institute.  It has three operating units – Catholic Theological College (for tertiary courses and qualifications), National Centre for Religious Studies, and the Nathaniel Centre for Catholic Bioethics. 

Dr Metuamate says he is honoured to have been appointed and excited to be back home after a decade in Australia.

“My wife and I are expecting a son to be born in March, and being based amongst whānau is important for us. It feels like the right time to return home to bring the learning and experience I have gained after 10 years working in Australian universities and organisations,” said Dr Metuamate.

“The opportunity to play a leadership role in shaping Te Kupenga and ensuring it connects and appeals to more of our people is also a key motivation for me.”

NZ Catholic Bishops Conference president Bishop Patrick Dunn is delighted with the appointment.

“Dr Metuamate has emerged as the best candidate from a rigorous selection process.  He is a personable and capable man, with the vision, energy and relationship skills needed to get the new organisation up and running,” said Bishop Dunn.

“Areti’s appointment will help drive visibility and growth for Te Kupenga among Māori, Pasifika, younger people and other important communities within our increasingly diverse Church and society. He will bring a contemporary style and quality of leadership to a new organisation that seeks to engage the Catholic and wider communities in ways that are authentic and resonant for our time.

NZCEO welcomed Rosalie Connors as the Manager, Special Character on 15 January. Rosalie comes with excellent Catholic education teaching and leadership experience, having worked in Catholic primary and secondary schools, and at diocesan level.  Her most recent experience has been with the Catholic Institute of Aotearoa and prior to that as the Review and Development Advisor for the Diocese of Palmerston North.

Rosalie has worked at a national level on the revision of the Catholic Special Character Review document and the Catholic School Elaborations: Standards for the Teaching Profession.

Rosalie has a Masters in Religious Education and is currently completing an education doctorate with a focus on faith leadership in Catholic schools, both with the Australian Catholic University.

The senior management structure of the office is

Paul Ferris, Chief Executive Officer

Heather Richardson, Chief Financial Officer

Karen Raitt,  Manager Policy Projects, Strategy, and Events 

Rosalie Connors, Manager Special Character, Catholic Character Reviews, Publications, Early Childhood, and Convention Programming

NZCEO is delighted to annouce we are holding an Aspiring Principals Day in 2020.

This one day event will provide a leadership and development opportunity specifically for Catholic school teachers.  Topics covered include, challenges for leaders in our schools, the culture we want for our schools, habits and qualities of successful leaders, and the influence of Catholic teaching.

We are seeking nominations from Principals, for teachers who have shown a committment to formation and those who show leadership for Catholic education.

Please forward you nomination to nzceooffice@nzceo.org.nz before 14th February 2020. Places are limited.

Aspiring Principals Day, Friday 27th March, Miramar Links - Conference & Function Centre, Wellington  (this is near the airport)

NZCEO has updated the Guidelines for Managing Maximum Rolls for Principals and Boards of Trustees.

Guidelines for Managing Maximum Rolls

The Education and Training Bill includes several changes to the existing bill. 

Are you aware of the proposed changes to the framework regulating physical restraint in schools?

One of the changes to the bill is to make it clear when teachers and authorised staff can use physical intervention. To read more about the the changes to physical restrait click here

You’re invited to submit your feedback to the Education and Workforce Committee.
Submissions close 14 February 2020. 

Click here to To read the bill and for information on how to make a submission can be found

The Bill’s proposed main changes for schooling include:

• Modifying school boards’ primary objectives to include, alongside educational achievement, ensuring the physical and emotional safety of students and staff, being inclusive and catering for students with differing needs and giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
• The requirement for boards to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi includes ensuring their plans and local curriculum reflect local tikanga Māori, by achieving equitable outcomes for Māori learners and by taking all reasonable steps to make instruction available in tikanga Māori and te reo Māori.
• Enabling the Minister to issue a Code of Conduct, setting minimum conduct standards for board members.
• The development of set criteria, in consultation with educators, to assist school boards with the appointment of principals. Boards will retain the right to appoint principals within this framework.
• Ensuring more local children can attend their local schools by shifting responsibility for enrolment schemes from boards to the Ministry of Education. Boards will continue to have input into enrolment schemes.
• Strengthening the rights of parents, whānau and students by enabling the creation of independent complaint and dispute resolution panels. These would investigate serious disputes, such as suspensions and exclusions or learning support provision, where matters cannot be resolved with the school.
• Requiring boards to consult with their students (as appropriate), their staff and school communities when making school rules.

One of the Scholarship recipients is from Holy Cross Catholic School, in Papatoetoe.

Q: How did you find out about the scholarships and what made you decide to apply?

Fiana: I found out about the scholarship online and decided to apply because I already had a large amount owing on my student loan from my previous degree and thought this would be great to alleviate financial stress.

Q: What did it mean for you, when you found out you’d received a scholarship?   

Fiana: It was the greatest blessing – not just for myself but for my family who have supported me throughout my learning journey. Receiving the scholarship not only made me a proud Tongan recipient but it boosted my motivation and confidence to finish the graduate diploma on a high. It relieved some of the financial pressure on me and my family. 

Q: Who or what most inspired you to become a teacher?

Fiana: I truly believe that a child’s upbringing plays a crucial part in what they do later in life. We as teachers spend 41 weeks – 205 days a year – with these little human beings. This goes to show that teachers have a GREAT impact in a child’s life. 

If a teacher teaches faka’apa’apa (respect), a child will learn what this looks like, sounds like and feels like. If a teacher teaches mamahi’i me’a (passion), a child will understand how to appreciate the love of learning. If a teacher teaches resilience, a child will learn to build themselves up socially, mentally and emotionally to face life’s issues appropriately. This is why I am a teacher because I love having the power to make a difference in these kids’ lives! 

Q: What special abilities have you been able to bring to your teaching practice because of your identity, language or culture?

Fiana: The love I have for my Tongan identity, language and culture have shone through my teaching practice. I was given the arts unit in my second year of teaching which allowed me to take care of celebrating and acknowledging all the language weeks at my school. My experience in tutoring traditional Tongan dance for many years helped with this. 

Q: In your opinion, what is the role of teaching in today’s world?

Fiana: As a teacher, we get the pleasure of playing many roles in a child’s life. You get to play the teacher, the nurse, the clown, the counsellor, the mum, the dad, the guardian, the mediator, the fitness coach, the dancer, the actor – all in one day. 

Q: What would you say to someone who is thinking of becoming a teacher today?

Fiana: I would say, if you want the power to make a difference in the lives of 26 little human beings – DO IT!

Teaching isn’t a profession where you have to know everything before you start. It is an ongoing and never-ending learning process where you only get better and better. No two days are ever going to be the same and there will be some little bumps on your journey so embrace it, breathe in and keep going. 

Q: What do you most hope your students remember about being taught by you?

Fiana: I hope my students remember me as being the firm, fair and fun teacher. The teacher who pushed each student to reach their full potential even if it meant staying in during their lunch breaks to complete the one maths problem she knew they could solve.

The teacher who loved her culture and loved her family because she had so many stories to tell.

Watch Fiana talk about her journey.

2020 Ministerial Youth Advisory Group 

The purpose of the Youth Advisory Group is to:

• provide an opportunity for New Zealand youth to voice their own experience and perspectives oneducation.
• inform the Minister of Education on aspects of the educationsystem and how these affect the childrend and young people who use the system
• bring yur insights to the Ministry of education and the education secotr to help inform how we work.

Congratulations to all who have been selected to the Youth Advisory Group, and esepcially Maru Taiaki who is from Hato Pāora College, a Catholic state integrated school.

Maru Taiaki, 15, Paraparaumu

Ko Tokomaru tōku waka
Ko Kapakapanui ko Tararua ōku tūpuna mounga
Ka ngahae ngā pī, ko Waikanae tōku awa
Ko Te Atiawa tōku iwi
Ko Waikanae tōku marae
Ko Whakarongotai tōku whare
Ko Maru Taiaki ahau e mihi ana

Tēnā koutou katoa.

Kia ora, my name is Maru Taiaki, of Te Atiawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Kurī, Ngāti Whātua and Te Atihaunui-ā-Pāpārangi descent. 

Born and raised on the Kāpiti Coast, I am a year 12 student at Hato Pāora College. As a graduate of Māori-medium and English-medium education I am passionate about every young person enjoying education and achieving success, especially for Māori.

I enjoy all sports, speaking and learning te reo Māori and performing kapa haka. 

'Whaia Te Tika - Do what is right' - the motto of Hato Pāora College

Patrick Walsh, Principal of John Paul College, Rotorua, was awarded a Fellowship on behalf of the Wolf Fisher Trust. 

This is a prestigious award which is given, not applied for.

The Fellowship provides overseas study and travel for outstanding secondary school principals and teachers, polytechnic senior managers and, most recently, primary and intermediate school principals.

The fellowship will allow Mr Walsh to study at Harvard University and to visit schools of excellence in the United States and Europe.  Mr Walsh and his wife Paulene, who is the Learning Support Leader at John Paul College will focus on schools with 'best practice' in learning support.

Mr Walsh was surprised and honoured by the award.

Patrick Walsh was granted Letters of Affiliation by the De La Salle Brothers. This is the Brother's way of recognising and acknowledging people who have not only supported them in their work through outstanding gifts and service but who have also supported them through the personal and fraternal relationship they have shown. Patrick has been associated with the Lasallian mission since 1993, a period of twenty-six years.