20 September 2024

He Karakia Whakatuwhera

E ara rā, e ara rā!

E ara rā, e te kōrero

E ara rā, e te wānanga

E ara rā, e te whakaaro nui

E ara rā, e te ngākau whakaiti

Tūturu whakamaua kia tīna (tīna)

Haumi, ē; hui, ē; tāiki, ē!

Arise, arise!

May discussion occur

May deliberation take place

May thoughtfulness be present

May humility come to the fore

All these things shall come to pass

Because we all agree in unison

This is one of my favourite karakia for starting a meeting. I particularly like the actions and 'ways of being' described here and I'm always hopeful of a good outcome.

I like thoughtful planning, where all voices are considered, and where differences are recognised as treasures.

As we head to Term 4, we have, as a teaching team, a lot to listen to, discuss, deliberate over, be thoughtful about and, of course, let humility reign.

On Tuesday, we started preparing the ground for the work programme that will occur in after school teacher meetings over Term 4.

This is always big and juicy and, this year, we have extra layers to consider with the introduction of a new English and Maths Curriculum to start exploring in readiness. Although these aren't finalised, we decided that Term 4 is a great opportunity to get our heads well in this space before 2025. Additionally, the Ministry of Education will be granting schools 2 further Teacher Only Days next year to work on curriculum changes but we do not have these dates as yet.

As well as curriculum changes, there will be some assessment and reporting tweaks. Many things will remain the same or similar as well as some new.

Over the course of the term, we will also be evaluating all programmes, analysing data in Reading, Writing and Maths, completing individual reports and cohort/group reporting, using the new curriculum to support judgments, setting new targets, completing the analysis of variance, evaluating and planning for professional learning, selecting resources to support learning....... and all that 'jazz'!

Then, we will go both bigger and smaller - bigger around the other aspects of the curriculum planning (like Science, The Arts, Technology, Positive Education and Te Ao Māori)... and the action required to bring the local curriculum alive and vibrant. Then, also smaller. What types of books and coloured pencils type small.

Never a dull moment on the hill!