6 March 2020

Post date: Mar 05, 2020 11:52:13 PM

I’m very proud of the Positive Education journey that the school has been on over the last 6 or so years. If someone asks me what one of the biggest contributions I’ve personally made to the WBS whānau - this just may be it. It really does feel that, in general, NZ Education is just catching on to Positive Education and all that it brings. This is the place where the science of wellbeing intersects with good quality teaching and learning. It doesn’t replace academic learning, it’s an AND, a both. Our focus on and high expectations on our children making excellent progress against our targets in Reading, Writing and Maths does not falter.

Supporting teachers and children in developing strategies to support their own social, emotional, physical wellbeing surely must be an extremely valid outcome in its own right, aka a “no brainer”.

Over the break, I was contacted by the Times Education Supplement UK to discuss our Positive Education work as they were doing a feature article. I sat under canvas and clouds conversing with the Editor and I was thrilled to be able to share our highlights, challenges and next steps. (It has just been published this week and, although it’s come out as just a small sound bite, hey, we are still in there!!)

I also wrote a chapter, which some of the staff contributed to, for a NZ Positive Education book that is also due to be published, so you may well see WBS featured out there too, ...... so I hope it reads favourably!

We certainly haven’t arrived at an end point. I don’t think there is one. I am always learning, which means the staff are always learning……... which means the children are always learning. I’ve talked before about a balanced curriculum……. we know that this work around wellbeing is more important than it’s ever been. So this is an area of the curriculum that will permanently be burning bright.

Please have a read of our Positive Education Strategy.

I’d love to talk more with you, if you are interested, ……. I may not stop!

I have attached a copy of the article if you want to read more. Get your magnifying glass out for us!