Time and Place - Maori Achievement Collaborative

 Time and Place

I love that feeling of finishing up a meeting and walking away thinking... that was such a good use of time!  In a word - buoyant!  

Earlier in the year three of our Board were fortunate enough to attend the New Zealand Schools Trustees Association Conference in Rotorua.  In the last session of the day I meet the Principal from Mangere East and we started chatting about our Bilingual classes and different suggestions for:  professional development, networking,  support agencies.  Stephanie suggested I reach out to "MAC - The Maori Achievement Collaborative.  This is a non-profit organisation, a professional learning and development pathway by principals for principals focussed on changing education outcomes for Maori students.   In all:  "Leaders helping leaders to become better leaders!".  Tini, Maria and I meet with Phil Gordon for our initial 'getting started' meeting and I felt really inspired.  

Phil, Maria, Tini and I shared our hopes and aspirations for Te Whanau Puawaitanga, and Maori (all the students) at NWS.  We had some really positive korero across a range of topics and I reflected on Tini's comment as we finished up the Google Meet:  NWS is in the right space, right time for the next part of the journey. I had a real sense of it all coming together!  

Thank you Maria and Tini for your passion and commitment... the following feels appropriate. 

 Celebrating - Innovation and Learn, Create, Share

Day 6 of Alert Level 4 Lockdown and I'm finding a rhythm in my day.  My little bubble has settled in a routine - exercise, work/learning, lots of eating, and games in the evening.  Tonight my people are playing Connect Sports and I feel a little lack lustre after getting my first vaccination.  I've headed off to my bedroom to scroll through our class sites, blogs, and to check out what everyone has been up to in Distance Learning land.  

I am delighted and incredibly proud of all the amazing - Class Sites,Blogging, Learn/Create/Share, Innovation, and great learning that's been implemented.  

A shout out to:  

• Helen and the Room 7 class site.  The graphics are fabulous and it's really easy to navigate the site.   
• Flo is literally the Google guru, and I've just joked to Maria that it won't be long until Manaiakalani is offering our Flo a job!  Very cool to see what you have done with Padlet and also Google Data Studio Flo.  In fact, I can't wait to see what you come up with tomorrow!  
  
  
  
• Robin so clever to use Fale points to celebrate, reward and create a sense of fun and competition in your programme.  Let's hope Kowhai step up their Blogging game!  
  
  
  
• Our wonderful Learning Assistants are all underway with commenting on the students blogs (Room 11, 12, 13, 21 and 22)  and they are enjoying the opportunity to connect with our students via this platform.  

So much to celebrate today.  Well done to an amazing team.  

 Learn, Create, Share

I missed yesterday's Lockdown post, but in my defence I've been feeling a bit poorly as I've had a head cold.  I spent most of yesterday working my way through a Neon (TV) series I've had my eye on.  But here I am today... back into it!  

I've just been in commenting on our Senior/Matamua class blogs, and I'm super impressed with Room 21's - Learn, Create, Share.  I was also really inspired by Chloe and her bravery to give the Toolkit on Minecraft a go (Learn) and to share it on her blog.  So here I am sharing the story on what, I've been giving a go! 

Second confession.  I'm a terrible cook. I also have a woeful oven (does that sound like an excuse) at the moment while we are waiting to move and renovate our cottage... but that's another story, for another blog post.  I digress...  What I was going to say was that I have been inspired to try and learn a new skill a day over Lockdown.  Now I decided baking isn't my 'thang' and in fact, my family would thank me for not trying out any new recipes (mean aren't they).  I did however decide that I wanted to learn how to 'braid'.  As in hair braiding.  I love watching Youtube videos of amazing hairstyles... and I often think, I'd love to do that on my girls.  

I'm quite late on arriving at hair braiding (and fancy stylz), as my girls are 11 and 14 and I'm not sure the 14 year old will actually agree to me doing it any longer.  But hey, as the saying goes... never too late!  

So for the last two days, I've committed time each day to find some new YouTube clips and to practise new hair braiding techniques.  Rewindable learning is the best.  The ability to stop and watch something over and again is super helpful - I LOVE it.  

So I'm going to be as brave as Chloe is and I've posted a pic of my 'Dutch Braid' - first night attempt, on my model (Lily).  

Thanks Chloe.  Learn, Create, Share!  

Here is a link to Chloe's Minecraft post

Feedback welcome on techniques to make the braid tighter?  Or any Youtubers that you think I have to check out!

* I also think that if I do this everyday for the entire Lockdown that I'm bound to get better :-)

 Lockdown - Alert Level 4.  Here We Go (Again)

So much can change in the blink of an eye!   Today marks the third day of Alert Level 4 Lockdown for Auckland.  

I am going to use this "opportunity" to get up to date with my blogging and to commit to a daily blog.  Let's see how I go with that! 

Reflections... What a week! In the words of Ron Burgundy, "That escalated quickly." But there is a #winoftheweek to be found everywhere.

My wins of the week are:

* Family time - you can't beat it.

* Sunshine (18 month old puppy) is enjoying having us at home, and over the past two days we've been out for 2x, 2 hour walks.   * Photo credit to Lily, who took this picture of Sunshine for one of her Distance Learning tasks.  

* The amazing responsiveness from our school community to adapt to the sudden changes.  

* Our teaching team has have 'pivoted' so quickly to move to online connection and learning.  

* The NWS Senior Leadership Team - who get on and do their thing.  Everyone doing their bit for the collective good

* Catching up on some admin that I've been remiss with over the past few weeks.  

* Sean is back into the swing of yummy lockdown dinners.  Tacos tonight.  

Look after yourselves,  I special thought to our Lynfield College Community at the moment who are right in the middle of the COVID-19 hotspot!

Be kind, be strong, be you.