It is exciting to be heading into a new phase with our Community of Learning. We hope 2020 will be characterised by increased sharing of practice and the strengthening of collective knowledge to support the pathways of our tamariki and rangatahi. We welcome Toby Stokes to our Kāhui Ako as the new Principal of South Wellington Intermediate School.

It is encouraging to hear how our schools have aligned their strategic planning to our shared mahi. The start of the year has been characterised by the following:

• First hui with the Management Team - Claire O’Fee and Lynette Bradnam (Ngāti Kahungunu, Kai Tahu, Rangitāne) from Poutama Pounamu came to facilitate our discussions about culturally capable leadership. WE have also started scoping meetings with the schools that will be working directly with Poutama Pounamu
  
• We have advertised our first TeachMeet for early March to bring teachers together from across our schools to pool understanding about how we are implementing the new Digital Technologies curriculum.
  
• Our Kaitiaki Group meets again on 11 March
  
• Planning is underway for:
  
  • Talking with students to understand key themes in our shared Wellbeing@School data
    
  • Our Teacher Only Day on 9 April
    
  • Applying for further funding from the Ministry for professional learning
    
  • Convening our working group to focus on powerful practices that create student-centred learning
    
  • Bringing together those in our schools who work in learning Support (RTLB liaison, Guidance, SENCO, Learning Services etc)
    
  • Bringing together our Within School leads to support their work in our schools
    
  • Connecting with other Kāhui Ako across the region
    

Atawhai ngā rito, kia puāwai ngā tamariki.
Ako i ngā tamariki, kia tu tāngata ai, tātou katoa.
​
Cherish and nurture the shoots, so the children will bloom.
Learn from and with these children, so that we all can stand tall.

It has been a busy start to the year for our Kāhui Ako Lead Team — and we are delighted that a vital initiative has started with a hiss and a roar. We are now working with facilitators, Claire O'Fee and Lynette Bradnam (Ngāti Kahungunu, Kai Tahu, Rangitāne), from the Poutama Pounamu team at the University of Waikato. They will walk alongside our Kāhui Ako to help us strengthen the way we support our tamariki and rangatahi. The first couple of weeks of term have seen them work with the Senior Leaders in our schools, and also meet for scoping conversations with Owhiro Bay, Houghton Valley, Ridgway, Newtown School and Wellington High. We look forward to unpacking and exploring our practices with them over the coming weeks.