Each week in the newsletter Jude writes a reflection piece.
Below is this week's reflection - scroll down for other topics.
Also see the Positive Education page - one of Jude's passions!
Jude's Reflections 2025
Kia ora e te whānau,
This brings me to the final spiel for Term 2 and what a week it has been!
On Monday we welcomed our Evaluation Partners from the Education Review Office to our school. We hadn't seen ERO for some years and we were the last of their catch up schools. Maybe because we start with a W!
Prior to their visit we had provided them with a stack of evidence to wade through that was directly related to the areas of their review - this is called the Schooling Improvement Framework. The key areas being Learner Success and Wellbeing, Leadership, Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, Professional Capability and Collective Efficacy, Inclusion and Wellbeing, Partnerships, Stewardship and Governance, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Evaluation for Improvement.
While they were here they observed teachers in classrooms, spoke to students about their learning, looked at planning and met with a group of senior students to chat about a whole raft of things to do with school life. They spoke to Leaders, they spoke to teachers and they spoke with Trustees. They looked through policies, they looked deeply into data... they totally and thoroughly examined us!
They were looking for alignment and they found it in spades.
I am writing this feeling a tiny bit on the vacant side of a Wednesday evening and a massive amount on the PROUD side. So incredibly proud of our students, our staff, our Board, our community and our beautiful place. Our Evaluation Partners were very happy for me to share the feedback we received this afternoon with you, hot off the press, as by the time the reports are written in their completed form they tend to stripped of the richness as they are only, I think it's around the 8 bullet point mark long, with some drop down boxes. This will take some weeks and I will let you know when it's confirmed.
Here we go:
Manaakitanga shines through everything.
Our students, board and staff all speak the same language.
Our students are articulate, know what they are learning and why, are highly engaged and have fun, they say the teachers are strict (in a good way!)
Our students feel valued, are inclusive and feel like everyone is equal here.
Our achievement is at the higher end with the focus on boys and writing achievement a continuing goal.
We are excelling in Leadership. We are collaborative, committed and relational.
We provide targeted and considered Professional Learning opportunities for teachers.
We manage change thoughtfully and purposefully.
We excel in our work with priority learners, are inclusive, have excellent communication and transparency internally and externally.
We provide a very rich and broad curriculum, it's cohesive, authentic and new curriculum changes to reading, writing and maths are managed thoughtfully.
Wellbeing is well embedded, we use data well and are responsive to needs.
The good relationship we have with Mana Whenua is clear.
The Board are skilled, visible, understand Governance, are provided with good information, are supportive and provide targeted resourcing.
Strong partnerships are evident across schools, community groups and professional networks.
Teaching and learning is consistent, there are high expectations and skillful teaching in all spaces.
Teachers have positive, warm relationships, they do a great job.
Children get their needs met really well here.
I could go on... there was more like this... but that vacant side of me is now starting to take over!
Basically they had a terrific experience here. We all had a terrific experience with them here. They said they couldn't have ended the term in a better way... and I agree, nor can I!
We are on a high!
Thank you to one and all.
Happy holidays everyone!
19 June - Honing in on literacy
13 June 2025 - Learning is a team effort
30 May 2025 - Professional growth
23 May 2025 - Positive contribution
16 May 2025 - Dealing with complexity
9 May 2025 - Goal setting and reflection
2 May 2025 - The Learning Community
11 April 2025 - Change can be equated to growth
04 April 2025 - Reflecting on Term 1
28 March 2025 - Mathematics curriculum learning day
21 March 2025 - Feedback on out positive Education Workshops
14 March 2025 - State of flow
07 March 2025 - Positive Education workshops
28 February 2025 - Encouraging a community to flourish
21 February 2025 - Goals - students to Board
14 February 2025 - I've been thinking...
Jude's Reflections 2024
13 December 2024 - The Wrap!
6 December 2024 - Action-packed Weeks 8, 9 and 10
29 November 2024 - Balance
22 November 2024 - Encouraging a Community to Flourish
15 November 2024 - Lights, cameras and Fair Day action
8 November 2024 - Curriculum Changes
25 October 2024 - NZ Psychologist, Karen Boyes
18 October 2024 - "The Anxious Generation"
27 September 2024 - Term 4 Events
20 September 2024 - Planning for 2025
13 September 2024 - What Does Success Look Like for Our Worser Bay Children?
6 September 2024 - Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning
30 August 2024 - Use of Digital Technology
23 August 2024 - Learning Celebrations
16 August 2024 - Resilience
9 August 2024 - Vibrant Term 3
2 August 2024 - Worser Bay School Alumni
26 July 2024 - Codes and Standards for the Teaching Profession
05 July 2024 - Screens and Sensory rest
27 June 2024 - Critical Thinking
21 June 2024 - Perfectionism
14 June 2024 - Kāhui Ako o Te Motu Kairangi
7 June 2024 - AWE
31 May 2024 - Writing by hand
24 May 2024 - Making Mistakes and Perseverance
17 May 2024 - Let's Talk Maths!
10 May 2024 - Brain Development
3 May 2024 - Pou Project Published!
12 April 2024 - Term 1 Reflections
22 March 2024 - Our Positive Education Programme
15 March 2024 - Learning 'outside'
8 March 2024 - Localised curriculum
1 March 2024 - Strategic Plan and Annual Goals
23 February 2024 - Relationship building opportunities
16 February 2024 - Goal Setting for 2024
9 February 2024 - Aspirations for 2024
Jude's Reflections 2023
8 December 2023 - What a Year!
1 December 2023 - 2023 Highlights and Challenges
24 November 2023 - Many hands make light work
17 November 2023 - The Fair
10 November 2023 - Our Supportive Community
3 November 2023 - Strategic Direction
20 October 2023 - Spring is in the air!
13 October 2023 - What's happening in Term 4?
22 September 2023 - Term 3 Reflection
15 September 2023 - The Arts Celebration
8 September 2023 - Visual Arts
1 September 2023 - Positive feedback
25 August 2023 - What sort of school would we say we are?
18 August 2023 - Change across the Education Sector
11 August 2023 - What does success look like for your child?
4 August 2023 - "Other People Matter"
28 July 2023 - Year 6 "Flourish" Programme
21 July 2023 - "What are you looking forward to?"
30 June 2023 - Term 2 Highlights
23 June 2023 - School in Action Morning
16 June 2023 - Localised curriculum
2 June 2023 - The Library
26 May 2023 - Student Voice
19 May 2023 - "Change the question and you will change the conversation"
12 May 2023 - Mental Health Education Guidelines
5 May 2023 - Kāhui Ako
31 March 2023 - Striving for Excellence
24 March 2023 - New Zealand Curriculum Refresh
17 March 2023 - Motivation and Engagement Wheel
10 March 2023 - Community, Rōpū, bunch, band, neighbourhood...
3 March 2023 - Goleman's Emotional Intelligence
24 February 2023 - Emotion Coaching for Parents
17 February 2023 - Language is powerful
10 February 2023 - National Education Learning Priorities (NELPS) for Aotearoa/NZ
Jude's Reflections 2022
9 December 2022 - Whānau Social Events - End of 2022 / Start of 2023
2 December 2022 - Creatives in Schools programme
25 November 2022 - End of Year Events
18 November 2022 - Fair Feedback
11 November 2022 - Encouraging a Community to Flourish
4 November 2022 - Use of Technology
21 October 2022 - Positive Accomplishment
23 September 2022 - The importance of Student-led Conferences
16 September 2022 - The joys of Camp!
9 September 2022 - Strategic Plan
2 September 2022 - Physical Health
26 August 2022 - Te Wā Mahi Tahi Movie
19 August 2022 - Fair Volunteer Form
12 August 2022 - I am connected! Relationships and communication.
5 August 2022 - Family Music Jam
29 July 2022 - Launch of Te Wheke - our Zine.
8 July 2022 - Upcoming community events
1 July 2022 - Together we can, individually we can't !
17 June 2022 - Te Kura o Whetūkaingi is 125 years old !
03 June 2022 - Visual Literacy
Jude's Reflections 2021