Kahukura COP Boards of Trustees Meeting

No amount of legislation can ensure that seven schools work with shared values and beliefs for the benefit of the children in our geographic area. And yet we do, of our own accord and with fierce determination to provide quality education and exciting learning opportunities across our schools.
Last night our boards met at Cashmere Te Pae Kereru to talk about how our schools share personnel, time and professional learning dollars so tat we can grow capacity and capability in our schools. Jared, Cade and Chris shared their experiences in Vancouver where they presented at an international conference on Deep Learning . Our partnership with Michael Fullan an international education researcher and about a thousand other schools world wide, has seen us grow in our understanding of what deep learning looks like. In each of our schools we have been able to measure growth in teacher practice and children's learning.
Our boards are supportive and celebrate with us as we raise the bar on student engagement and achievement.
Each principal has responsibility for an area of endeavour and we can work to our strengths. We love working together and challenging each other's thinking and practice.

Such Fun at the Basketball

Just as well I am not in the least bit competitive! Yeah right.
On Wednesday night Maata and I were at Pioneer Stadium to watch three of our basketball teams compete.
We played Sommerfield, Thorrington and Medbury and won all three matches. The matches were very exciting and I am thrilled with the level of skills that our children are developing. They have fantastic parent and teacher coaches who give up so much time to support them. Families bring the other siblings to support the children and grandparents are a regular feature.
Thank you to everyone. This really matters to children and it is lovely to see them flourish. West Spreydon School is a community based school where many of the whanau partner with us to offer rich experiences to our children.
Go West Spreydon.

Kahukura Performing Arts Lead Teachers Day

We had a fabulous day together yesterday to review our strategic plan, report on initiatives in schools, fine tune The Kahukura Music Festival plans and to learn more about conducting from The Maestro, Dr Andrew Withington.
It is a privilege to be able to learn from an expert. Dr Andrew was interviewed by Kim Hill recently and he spoke about his search and thesis as well as his experiences conducting choirs and orchestras.
We went through techniques and universal hand signals to help us to get the best out of our choirs and chorales.
We were all under pressure to conduct the rest of the group and in between the laughter we all learned so much. It's not easy to be prepared to have your technique scrutinized, no matter how supportive everyone is. We realize that we place children under that kind of spotlight every day, and it's good for us to wave an arm, or walk a mile in their shoes.
The Kahukura Lead Teachers are a pleasure to work with. They are prepared to take risks so that they can learn, and they are prepared to challenge the children in their care, so that those children have the opportunity to perform at the highest levels.
Thank you Andrew for your generosity and good humour. I had a blast. Thank you Lauren, Kate, Kate, Julia, kayte, Kim and Matt, Ally and Jane who joined us for the professional learning part.

Thanks Father Frank. Ever the Pastoral Eye upon this little creative flock.

The food wasn't to be sneezed at either.

Dr Andrew Withington