Early Learning Regional News – February 2020

Regional News / General News / Other News updates for February 2020 from the Directors of Education for each Ministry of Education region.

• Tai Tokerau regional news
• Auckland regional news
• Waikato regional news
• Bay of Plenty, Waiariki regional news
• Hawke’s Bay, Tairawhiti regional news
• Taranaki, Whanganui, Manawatu regional news
• Wellington regional news
• Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast regional news
• Canterbury | Chatham Islands regional news
• Otago, Southland regional news

Tai Tokerau regional news

Kia ora koutou katoa

New Services

Welcome to the following new services in Tai Tokerau:

• Aneshree Tikaram and her team at Montessori Children’s House Kerikeri,
• Saskia Vette-Pivac and the team at Educare One Tree Point.

ECE Team changes:

Des Tipene has accepted a position moving from the ECE team into the role of Education Adviser Māori Engagement. Des will be focusing on whānau engagement, enablement and achievement. This is an exciting change for Des and we wish him well.

We are in the process of appointing two new staff to join the ECE team. In the interim please contact any one of us if you need information or assistance.

Education Manager:
Irene Iwikau
irene.iwikau@education.govt.nz
(09) 436 8921
027 475 3747

Education Adviser:
Sacha Cherrington
sacha.cherrington@education.govt.nz
(09) 436 8929
027 705 7543

Education Adviser:
Sharleen Edmonds
sharleen.edmonds@education.govt.nz
(09) 408 6938
027 478 3669

Te Oho Whakarere - Ngātihine Festival to promote and raise awareness of te reo Māori o Ngāpuhi

Te Oho Whakarere is a total immersion Māori language festival aimed at celebrating and revitalising te reo Māori in Te Tai Tokerau. We were both privileged and honoured to be a part of this wonderful kaupapa, working with our communities to raise the mana of te reo Māori within our whānau.

The festival is an opportunity for whānau to learn, engage and feel inspired in a fully immersed environment. There are lots of food and information stalls, kapa haka, activities, games, prizes, giveaways and a whole lot more!

Four festivals in total will take place across Northland; the first three festivals took place in Kawakawa, Kaitaia and in Waitangi. There is one further date:

• 7 March 2020, Lindvart Park, Kaikohe

Incredible Years Parents Programme Schedule

The Incredible Years Parent Programme runs for 14 weeks, and enables whānau to develop and expand on positive behaviours in their child/ren. The programme decreases problem behaviours by enhancing parenting skills with well-founded strategies. All whānau (grandparents, parents and caregivers) of children aged between 3-8 years are welcome to register.

Please see below for the programme dates:

The programme will now be running in Waipu starting on 10 March at the Waipu Presbyterian Church Hall from 9 am to 12 noon.

For further information and to register for the programme, parents should contact Eileen Turner, Eileen.turner@education.govt.nz.

Guidance for early learning services during the Northland water shortage

Guidance has recently been sent out to early learning services/Kōhanga Reo in the Kaipara, Mid-North and Far-North regions. The guidance supports services to assess if they are able to remain open during periods of water shortages.

For further guidance on health and hygiene, early learning services can contact Nga Tai Ora Public Health Northland (09) 430 4100.

Novel coronavirus: Information for Early Learning Services

As you will have seen in the media, the situation is rapidly evolving internationally concerning the coronavirus.

To stay informed on the potential risks associated with the Coronavirus, please visit the Ministry website.

Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)(external link)

For further information on the virus, please visit the Ministry of Health website.

Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) guidance – Ministry of Health(external link)

You can also contact your local District Health Board if you require further information Public Health Unit Contacts – Ministry of Health(external link).

Based on the latest advice from the Ministry of Health, our current advice to you is:

“For any staff member or child who has recently been to mainland China or has been in close contact with someone confirmed with the virus, we encourage you to ask the staff member or parent/caregiver of the child to delay their start at their early learning service for 14 days and stay home.”

Please feel free to contact me on 027 501 5068; hira.gage@education.govt.nz.

I wish you a successful and enjoyable year.

Ngā mihi nui

Hira Gage
Director of Education Tai Tokerau
Phone: 09 436 8914
Email: hira.gage@education.govt.nz

Auckland regional news

Ngā mihi nui o te Tau Hou,

Happy New Year and welcome back to 2020. I hope you all had a refreshing and relaxing break with whānau and friends.

Welcome also to new teachers and staff to our region and those new to the profession. It’s a great time to be involved in education with lots of exciting opportunities coming up. Our staff are preparing for the new and exciting opportunities that 2020 will bring.

It is unfortunate that the Novel coronavirus has impacted so dramatically on schools and early learning services during the usual busy start to the year. We will ensure that you have access to the latest and most accurate information. Please ensure that you are checking in regularly with the latest information on our website and also that of the Ministry of Health.

Novel coronavirus - Education website(external link)
Novel coronavirus - Information for Early Learning Services(external link)
Novel coronavirus - Ministry of Health website(external link)

Please don’t hesitate to contact our office or your Education Adviser if you have any queries about how to handle particular cases or specific concerns.

Email: enquiries.auckland@education.govt.nz
Phone: 09 632 9400

Auckland students appointed to Youth Advisory Group

Congratulations to Fine Aholelei and Tanin Cain who have been selected for the Ministerial Youth Advisory Group. This group is made up of 12 young people from across New Zealand and exists to inform and provide insights to the Minister of Education about youth perspectives on the education system.

Fine Aholelei, 17, is Deputy Head Girl, Board of Trustees representative and a Tongan Group leader at Auckland Girls Grammar. Tanin Cain, 14, lives in Ihumātao, and is home-schooling with his two brothers. I’m sure both of these young people will make a valuable contribution to this important national team.

New Year Honours List 2020

Our sincerest congratulations and appreciation goes out to the following Aucklanders, who were acknowledged on the New Year Honours List 2020 for their contribution to children, young people, and education:

• Mrs Linley May Myers, MNZM
• Associate Professor Hendrika Martine Crezee, ONZM
• Mrs Amanda Elizabeth Anngold McIntosh, ONZM
• Mr Robert Narev, MNZM, ONZM
• Mrs Sulieti Fieme'a Burrows, MNZM
• Mr Gerben Willem Cath, MNZM
• Mr Terence Archibald Wade, QSM

More details about the contributions and accomplishments of these recipients can be found on the DPMC website.

New Year Honours List 2020 - DPMC website(external link)

The Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards

Entries for the 2020 Awards are open from 24 February until 10 April. The Awards recognise and celebrate outstanding achievements in early learning, primary and secondary schooling. So start thinking about what story your team might like to share. You can find information on the Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards website on how to get started on your entry.

Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards website(external link)

Traumatic Incidents – Call 0800 848 326 (0800 TI TEAM)

A reminder that our Traumatic Incidents team has a dedicated phone number that is the quickest way to get in touch with the expert support you require.

In the event of any traumatic incident, we are available to work closely with early learning services, kōhanga reo, kura and schools to support you to manage the incident and help continue your day-to-day operations.

Traumatic incidents have been broadly defined as events that:

• cause sudden and/or significant disruption to the operation or effective operation of a school, early learning service and/or community
• have the potential to affect a large number of children, young people and/or staff
• create significant dangers or risks to the physical and emotional wellbeing of children, young people or persons within a community
• attract media attention or a public profile for the early childhood education service or school as a result of these incidents.

Our Traumatic Incident team can be contacted on 0800 848 326 (0800 TI TEAM) anytime 7 days a week 24 hours a day.

Feel free to call me on 09 632 9333 or email me: isabel.evans@education.govt.nz.

Ngā mihi nui

Isabel Evans
Director of Education Auckland
Phone: 09 632 9333
Email: isabel.evans@education.govt.nz

Waikato regional news

E rau rangatira mā tēnā koutou katoa

I hope you were able to enjoy a great day off on Waitangi Day. This commemoration of the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi is a great opportunity for all of us to reflect on our nation’s founding document and the important part we play in bringing effect to this pivotal agreement between Mana Whenua and the Crown.

Our regional focus on Māori achieving and enjoying educational success as Māori, is a reflection of how seriously we take our role in helping the Crown meet its obligations under the treaty. I’m was able to attend the Rangiaowhia Commemoration in Te Awamutu on Friday. As a site of regional and national significance, it was a privilege to be part of this occasion and to learn alongside the children, teachers and whānau about the history of this special place.

I’d be keen to hear from you about how you are currently reflecting NZ histories as part of your curriculum, including the resources you use, support for your teachers and your engagement with families, whānau, hapū and iwi.

You can get it touch with me at paula.rawiri@education.govt.nz if you have some things you would like to share.

Novel coronavirus

Please refer to the Education website for the most up-to-date information regarding the Coronavirus. We update this regularly with any updates we get from the Ministry of Health.

Novel coronavirus (COVID-19)(external link)

You may wish to refer to your emergency management plan or health and safety plan for how you will manage a potential spread of infectious disease. However, for specific information regarding the Coronavirus, please refer to the guidance provided by the Ministry of Health.

Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) - Ministry of Health website(external link)

Hot weather

With the warm summer weather upon us you will need to be considering ways to manage the heat to ensure the comfort and wellbeing of everyone at your service. Every early learning service will need to consider their own circumstances (premises, environment, facilities, operating hours etc). There are several simple actions you can take to alleviate the impact on children and staff.

Tips for coping in hot weather:

• Pull blinds in windows facing the sun. Pulling these early in the day can reduce indoor heat
• Open windows and doors to allow cross ventilation (taking in to account the safety and security of children). Adequate ventilation is a requirement of licensing criterion PF12, especially in sleep areas
• If you have dampers, louvres or other ceiling ventilation ensure they are open to release heat
• Switch on ceiling fans where available. Only use mobile fans if there is no risk of them toppling or of children reaching them
• As required by licensing criterion HS21, ensure access to sufficient drinking water to make sure staff and children remain hydrated
• Suggest to parents and staff that lighter weight clothing is worn
• Outdoor safety surfacing is frequently made of dark, heat absorbing material so where possible utilise outdoor spaces with shading such as under trees or shade cloths
• Reduce the use of devices that generate heat (where possible turn off lights, reduce use of computers or other devices)
• If you have an HVAC unit, ensure this is running and that windows and doors are closed to ensure effective use.

Further useful information is available at the WorkSafe NZ website.

WorkSafe NZ website(external link)

Early Childhood Symposium

Is your service looking to be involved with an exciting professional learning opportunity? Registration is now open for teachers wishing to attend ‘ECE Kaiako as Puna - Reflecting children’s behaviours’. This one day symposium will be held on Saturday14th March 2020. For more information about this free event for Waikato teachers, please see the Educational Leadership Project’s website below.

Educational Leadership Project website(external link)

Playgroup Funding

The January to June 2020 playgroup funding round is now open. If you have been set up with access to ERS you can now log in.

ERS logon page(external link)

If your early learning service has a story of success or celebration that you would like to share with the wider Waikato region, please email it to linda.baxendine@education.govt.nz. We are always happy to receive contributions.

Pai Mārire

Paula Rawiri
Director of Education Waikato
Phone: 07 850 8924
Email: paula.rawiri@education.govt.nz

Bay of Plenty, Waiariki regional news

Kia ora and talofa lava

I trust you have all had a great break with whānau and friends over the holiday period and are well rested and ready for an exciting 2020. We have a busy year ahead and we’ll ensure regional information will be in the bulletin. Please make sure you read the entire bulletin through as this is our way of communicating national notices, trends and issues.

I would like to introduce our newest member of the ECE team to our region. Renee Cleaver joins us as an Education Adviser and comes from the sector as an ECE practitioner. Welcome aboard Renee; enjoy your time with us in the sunny Bay of Plenty – Waiariki region.

Person Responsible requirements in teacher-led centre-based services

There has been significant work carried out by the Ministry in order to support services to meet the Person Responsible requirements. The changes were effective from 9 January 2020 but do not change the Person Responsible requirements for playcentre, home-based, hospital-based services and ngā kōhanga reo (except those licensed as teacher-led, centre-based services).

The changes allow staff flexibility in rosters and are designed to ease pressure on teacher-led centre-based services. You can read more about these changes and how to apply them correctly with the link below.

Person Responsible requirements in teacher-led centre-based services

If you have any further queries about any licensing requirements please contact our Education Advisers:

Gina Royal: gina.royal@education.govt.nz
Nicole Young: nicole.young@education.govt.nz
Renee Cleaver: renee.cleaver@education.govt.nz
Wendy McNamara: wendy.mcnamara@education.govt.nz
Michelle Grant-Broughton: michelle.grant-broughton@education.govt.nz

Manager Education (responsible for early learning)
Nancy Macfarlane: nancy.macfarlane@education.govt.nz

Local Ministry offices

Emergency Contacts

Have we got your emergency contact correct? When I recently needed to make contact with you all concerning the Coronavirus, a number of emails bounced back to me. I am asking that if your emergency contact details have recently changed could you please make contact with Michelle Grant-Broughton who will make the changes in our database. You can email Michelle as above or her direct dial is 07 349 7393. Feel free to make contact with Michelle to check what details she already has if you are in doubt.

Unannounced Visits to Services

The Education Act 1989, 319B refers to ‘powers of entry and inspection without warrant’.

This part of the act enables our Education Advisers to enter and inspect any licensed or certificated premises. They can also sight, copy or remove any documentation.

For further information about our powers of entry and inspection use the link below to access section 319B of the Education Act.

Education Act 1989, 319B(external link)

Learning Support Updates

Regular news and information from our Learning Support staff will feature in the bulletin to ensure you are informed of opportunities, programmes and services that you may or may not know exist.

Our Incredible Years Teachers ECE (IYT) programme has sessions currently underway. This programme along with Incredible Years Parents has run successfully for a number of years now and are always fully subscribed.

The skills learnt from these programmes enable teachers and significant other adults in the child’s life to support the diverse needs of our learners in our early learning settings. Don’t worry if you have missed this intake another will be happening towards the middle of this year, so keep a look out in future bulletins for dates and details on how to register or you could just contact one of our learning support service managers below to secure a place for the next programme.

Arthur Manarangi: arthur.manarangi@education.govt.nz
Joanne Burch: joanne.burch@education.govt.nz
John McGovern: john.mcgovern@education.govt.nz
Jane Sheward: jane.sheward@education.govt.nz
Rosalind De Candole: rosalind.decandole@education.govt.nz
Kylie Reneti: kylie.reneti@education.govt.nz

This link below provides information about the program IYT and IYP

Incredible Years teacher - TKI website(external link)

Referring to Learning Support

Responding to the needs of our diverse learners in our early learning services need not be done in isolation. Making a referral to our Learning Support staff at your local Ministry office is a step closer to supporting the child and their needs, centre team and whānau.

There are some simple steps you can take before making that referral to our Learning Support team. The suggestions below will ensure the service, the child and the team receive is better targeted and therefore more meaningful.

• Note the behaviours of concern, recognise the triggers and respond to a child`s needs accordingly (please remember this should be strength based and we need to highlight the great things the child can do really well)
• Gather information that informs the development of an individual plan that prioritises the desired change
• Analyse and evaluate your findings before presenting to the whānau so they may contribute to the plan and have a shared understanding
• Whānau approval to make a referral to Learning Support is a must and the referral should be accompanied by a report of your findings and observations and the individual plan

Together with Learning Support you can develop skills to effectively support and empower yourself, that enable further great teaching practice that enhances our childrens’ learning.

Please note that our Education Advisers will endeavour to be responsive to the needs and requirements of the sector. However, they are booked well in advance for licensing visits. Please plan your requests in advance with Education Advisers, and ensure that you have all documentation completed.

If there is anything you would like to discuss, or if you have an issue you want to talk about, please contact me on 07 349 8309 or by email at ezra.schuster@education.govt.nz.

Ia manuia

Ezra Schuster
Director of Education Bay of Plenty – Waiariki
Phone: 07 349 8309
Mobile: 027 296 8196
Email: ezra.schuster@education.govt.nz

Hawke’s Bay, Tairāwhiti regional news

Tēnā koutou katoa

Welcome back to a very warm start to the New Year and I hope you all had a safe and refreshing holiday break and you’re ready for 2020.

I know that the Coronavirus impacts will be of concern; can I encourage you to have someone regularly checking the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health websites for updates. Any urgent questions please contact your Education Adviser.

Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) – Education website(external link)
Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) – Ministry of Health website(external link)

Passing of Piri Sciascia

We were saddened to hear of the passing of Professor Piri Sciascia on 18 January. He was a member of Te Taumata o Ngāti Kahungunu, an eminent group of esteemed Ngāti Kahungunu exponents, joined by Dr. Sir Pita Sharples, Dr. Sir Tīmoti Kāretu, Dr. Rangimārie Pere, Liz Hunkin & Dr. Moana Jackson. He has proven to be an exemplar in cultural, political, social, environmental and economic spheres. He has provided many instances as a role model, but no less so than in the field of education, where he broke the mould of his labouring generation by going to university and providing a slipstream for others to follow. Hundreds, if not thousands, have since followed in that tertiary trail. And Piri himself, has excelled in these endeavours, as his former position at Victoria University attests. (Extract from Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Inc(external link))

Draft Guidance – Minimising Choking

The consultation has now closed, and we are currently analysing the results. Keep an eye on the Ministry of Education website. In the meantime you can find draft guidance on minimising choking that has been developed by the Ministry of Health.

Reducing food-related choking for babies and young children at Early Learning Services - Ministry of Health(external link)

Funding workshops

Thanks to all those who attended the funding workshops in Hawke’s Bay at the end of the year. We will be running two workshops in Tairāwhiti in the New Year. The dates will be confirmed soon.

East Coast Symposium

There will be a hui up the East Coast in the first or second term. Dates and additional information will be out shortly.

Save the Date - Infant and Toddler Symposium

There will be an Infant and Toddler Symposium held in Tairāwhiti the 1st and 2nd of May 2020. Kimberley Crisp has been confirmed as a speaker. Registration details and more information about content will follow.

Reminder - Service Provider Hui

We are looking forward to meeting with all our Tairāwhiti Service Provider contact people. The purpose of this meeting is to share the current work priorities, including our regional Quality Strategy and to answer any questions you may have. You are welcome to bring a service provider representative with you. If you are able to join us, we look forward to seeing you.

Where: Gisborne Ministry of Education Office
When: Tuesday 25 February 2020
Time: 6pm

He Māpuna te Tamaiti

There will be a series of workshops throughout 2020 to assist teachers and services with the implementation of He Māpuna te Tamaiti: Supporting Social and Emotional Competence in Early Learning. Let us know if you need support with implementing this resources by contacting hayley.whitaker@education.govt.nz.

EC8 – Licence Amendment Applications

We have an updated version of the EC8 form that is used to amend licences. We hope to make these available online in the future but until then please contact one of the team for an updated version. This form now includes the emergency contact person so we can have up-to-date information for our new emergency app Mataara.

Resource Books

We have a large number of books that have been revised, releveled, digitalised into e-books for Kauwhata Reo.

Kauwhata Reo(external link)

These are all brand new books in pristine condition, but we want these to go into whānau hands, whānau homes, marae, community reo kaupapa, hapori, iwi kaupapa and anything else that involves whānau.

We have the below in stock as of today.

	Ara Pūreta Series (22 titles)	The Ara Pūreta books in the Pipi series cover the letters in the Māori alphabet and aim to familiarise new entrants with the look and sound of each letter and the formation and writing of letters into words. This set of Ara Pūreta features consonants.
	Ngā Kete Kōrero Series (43 titles)	A series of readers for learners of te reo Māori.
	He Purapura Series  (23 titles)	One of a series suitable for students learning Māori at an early level. From 2003, He Purapura books will carry the symbols also used to indicate reading levels in Ngā Kete Korero. The four levels are Te whakakotahi o te Whānau Turehu.
	Te Wharekura Series Te Tautoko Series He Kohikohinga Series (63 Titles)	Readers/journals for te reo Māori learners.
	Eke Panuku Series Toi Te Kupu Series Tāiki e Series (28 titles)	Eke Panuku are reading resources in a contemporary comic-book style, full of amusing topics and serial stories designed to entertain and engage young readers. Toi te Kupu is a magazine style resource designed to entice students in years 9 to 13 to engage in text, including the writing of High interest material such as Māori role models and profiles of high achieving Māori students and adults and major events in Māoridom such as Kapa Haka events, Ngā Manu Kōrero and various sporting and school events. Tāiki e is a similar resource that uses ‘casual’ language.
	Māori Māori Novels (33 titles)	These are novels entirely in te reo Māori aimed at wharekura students. They are translations of English books, with a few titles like Hōkio by Te Heikōkō.
	Whakawhiti Book Series (31 titles)	The literacy series titles are also based around themes/NZ History to support senior social sciences.
	Reo Tupu Series (8 titles in big and small books)	This series of exciting resources has been created to promote sound biliteracy practice by supporting the teaching and learning of Māori language. The storylines in these books are simple and engaging, using high-frequency vocabulary and repetitive grammatical features. Students will consolidate their learning through incremental exposure to the language and structures.

Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou

Claire Hague
Director of Education Hawke’s Bay / Tairāwhiti
Phone: 06 831 0667
Email: claire.hague@education.govt.nz

Taranaki, Whanganui, Manawatu regional news

Ngā mihi maioha ki a koutou katoa

Welcome to 2020. I hope that this first Pānui Kōhungahunga finds you well and that you have each had a chance to have a short break and spend valuable time with family and friends over the summer period.

New Licenced Services

Welcome to the new early learning services which have been licenced across the Taranaki region:

Puddleducks New Plymouth
Little Steps
Future Kids Preschool.

EC1 & EC8 Licence Application Forms

Please ensure you are contacting your local office for the most up to date licence application forms such as EC1 application for a new licence and an EC8 application to amend as both forms have been updated. To request either forms, please email ece.twm@education.govt.nz.

Playgroups Funding – January to June 2020

Playgroups are now able to apply for Operational Funding for the January to June 2020 period using ERS. You will be able to track the progress of your funding request and access your payment advice notices online.

Supporting information for ERS including FAQs, a training module and step-by-step guidance is available on the Playgroup Funding page.

Playgroup Funding page - ELI Website(external link)

Playgroup Special Grants

The Special Grant is a discretionary grant to assist a playgroup to cover the large costs that cannot be met from other funding. The Special Grant may contribute to or meet the full costs of what is applied for. Please contact your education adviser to request an application.

Please ensure that we have the most up-to-date email contact details for your playgroup in our records, by either telling us in ERS, or contacting Ann Cherie at anncherie.phillips@education.govt.nz.

TWM Education Advisers

If you are thinking of opening a new service, buying an existing service or making changes to a current licence, be sure to let your local education advisers know.

Education advisers are generally booked well in advance for licencing appointments and there can often be a wait of up to one month for availability.

If you have any further queries about any licencing requirements you can contact one of our education advisers below directly or by office email to ece.twm@education.govt.nz.

Nicole Hobbs: nicole.hobbs@education.govt.nz
Hilarie Nicoll: hilarie.nicoll@education.govt.nz
Sarah Brindle: sarah.brindle@education.govt.nz
Suzanne Beenen: suzanne.beenen@education.govt.nz
Ginge Potaka: ginge.potaka@education.govt.nz
Ann-Cherie Phillips: anncherie.phillips@education.govt.nz.

Please contact me using the details below if you wish to discuss any issues or ideas. I look forward to hearing from you.

Ngā mihi

Marlene Clarkson
Director of Education Taranaki, Whanganui, Manawatū
Phone: 06 349 6304
Mobile: 027 275 1450
Email: marlene.clarkson@education.govt.nz

Wellington regional news

Tēna koutou

Ngā mihi o te tau hou

Welcome back to this first He Pānui Kōhungahunga – The Early Learning Bulletin for the year. I hope you all had a safe and restful holiday period and are refreshed and ready for 2020.

A special welcome to new staff to our region and those new to the early childhood profession. It’s a great time to be involved in education with an exciting year ahead.

He Māpuna te Tamaiti – new resource for early learning services

By now, you should have received He Māpuna te Tamaiti: Supporting Social and Emotional Competence in Early Learning, an exciting new education resource that supports kaiako to develop the social and emotional wellbeing of young children they work with.

The resource material includes an electronic version of the book and quick tip cards to support kaiako in daily practice. It also includes a self-assessment tool for kaiako to reflect on, evaluate and develop intentional approaches. A series of five, two-minute video clips, PowerPoint and Google slides are available on Te Whāriki Online to support the use of He Māpuna te Tamaiti materials.

Self management and regulation - TKI website(external link)

Content is organised around four approaches:

• creating a supportive environment,
• promoting emotional competence,
• promoting social competence, and
• supporting learning and engagement.

Additional copies of this resource can be ordered from the Down the back of the chair website(external link) or phone 0800 660 662.

Congratulations Bright Star Education and Care Centre

Congratulations Bright Star Education and Care Centre, Newlands, on receiving a confirmed ERO Category 4 (very well placed) report from the Education Review Office (ERO) in October 2019.

The ERO review noted te ao Māori as being highly valued and strongly evident in the environment and curriculum. It also identified an established culture where whānau are valued and celebrated for who they are and what they bring to the centre.

Monica Power – staff profile

Kia ora koutou,

I’ve recently joined the team as a Senior Adviser supporting services within the Lower Hutt and Wairarapa region. I have been working within the Early Childhood sector in various leadership and teaching roles for over 19 years.

It’s an exciting time in the education sector and I’m feeling highly motivated to learn as much as I can in this role and be a positive support.

Outside of work I wear many different hats as a busy working mum with a toddler and school-aged children. Our favourite use of time as a whānau is spent exploring the outdoors.

Early learning services within Lower Hutt or Wairarapa can contact me at Monica.Power@education.govt.nz ph 044395099.

Emergency Planning for your early learning service

Do you wish emergency planning for your early learning service was simple, quick and easy?

The Ministry of Education is partnering with the Wellington Region Emergency Management office (WREMO) to support early learning services to better prepare for emergencies. WREMO is holding workshops for early learning services, to come together and work through key planning issues.

The workshop is an opportunity to:

• Find solutions for any emergency planning challenges you have
• Discuss processes for drills and trips
• Clarify what needs to be in the emergency plan and how to practise them
• Share ideas with other early learning services
• Receive a login to our online planning tool that can be shared with parents and whānau.

These workshops are free of charge and are suitable for your services leadership. Please register online: Wellington Region Emergency Management website(external link)

Dates for upcoming workshops are:

Ngā mihi

Roy Sye
Director of Education Wellington
Phone: 04 463 8668
Email: roy.sye@education.govt.nz

Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast regional news

Updated EC8 Application to Amend form

There have recently been some changes to the EC8 Application to Amend form. Copies of the updated forms have been sent out across the region. Can you please ensure you use the updated form going forward and take a moment to read over it. There are some new sections as well as more detail in the subsequent information pages.

Please note that when you send an EC8 form into your Education Adviser, ensure you send all of the pages, not just the ones that have been filled in.

You will notice that one of the amended sections in regard to the Service Provider Contact Person is that this person must reside locally. A person will generally be considered to ‘reside locally’ if they live within the geographical boundaries serviced by the local Ministry of Education office.

Checking your resource consent is an area worth looking into. When hiring more staff or increasing your licensed numbers, you will need to check that this is not in breach of your resource consent. If it is in breach, you could look into getting this amended to reflect your service’s needs. If you require further information regarding the updated EC8 form, please contact your Education Adviser at your local Ministry of Education office.

Local Ministry offices

Playgroup Operational Funding round is open and available through ERS

Playgroups are now able to apply for Operational Funding for the January to June 2020 period using the Education Resourcing System (ERS). Playgroups will be able to track the progress of their funding request through ERS.

If you have not yet been set up for ERS, please contact your Education Adviser. This is a timely reminder to keep the most-up-to-date email contact details. You can update details via ERS and by contacting your Education Adviser.

Derek Lucic
Director of Education Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast
Phone: 03 539 1536
Mobile: 027 605 2015
Email: derek.lucic@education.govt.nz

Canterbury | Chatham Islands regional news

Kia ora,

Welcome to 2020, I hope that you all had a relaxing and refreshing break over the summer and my best wishes for 2020 go to you all. Please remember to contact Paul Habinshuti at paul.habinshuti@education.govt.nz if you have things to celebrate or share with the sector.

We are often contacted by services asking for assistance with learning support services. This bulletin includes an item from Susan Schneideman (Manager Learning Support) to guide you in deciding when and how you can access support.

Please find contact details for the Canterbury ECE staff below.

Canterbury/Chatham Ministry of Education ECE Team

Starting from the left standing: Kose Seinafo (Education Manager), Vanessa Goodwin (Education Manager), Marilyn Hawkins (Education Adviser), Lauren Luketina (Lead Adviser), Georgia Frapwell (Senior Support Officer), Mary Forristal (Education Adviser), Jill Forgie (Education Manager), Chris Waller (Education Adviser), Lima Magele (Education Adviser), Katrina Yearbury (Education Adviser), Ruth Fleming (Education Adviser).
Starting from the left sitting: Rebecca Radley (Education Adviser), Paul Habinshuti (Education Adviser), Jo George-Scott (Lead Adviser), Sean Wheeler (Education Manager), Melissa Lewis (Education Adviser), Coralanne Child (Director of Education).

If you want to contact anyone in the Canterbury/Chatham region ECE team, please email ece.canterbury@education.govt.nz and the right person will respond to you. Any queries regarding Kahui Ako please email Kahuiako.Canterbury@education.govt.nz.

Barbara Madden has retired recently– we wish her well and thank her for the contribution she has made to early childhood education during her time with us. It was lovely to see so many of you at the farewell.

We also welcome Melissa Lewis to the team, Melissa comes to us with a wealth of experience in ECE including her most recent role as manager of an early learning service here in Christchurch.

Congratulations

We welcome the following early learning services who have joined the network of provision in Canterbury since August 2019:

New licensed services

• St Peter’s Anglican Preschool (August 2019)
• The Stables Montessori (September 2019)
• Waiau Playcentre (October 2019)
• The Crossing Preschool (December 2019)
• The Learning Barn (December 2019)
• Whales Tales Montessori Preschool Ilam (January 2020)

Category 4 ERO reports

Congratulations to the following services that have received a confirmed ERO Cat 4 (Very Well Placed) since November 2019

• Annabel’s Kindergarten – Darfield
• Annabel’s Private Kindergarten
• Annabel’s Educare
• Kidsfirst Kindergartens Wales Street
• Kidsfirst Kindergartens Trengrove
• Avonside Early Learning Centre
• Casa Dei Bambini Foundation School

Canterbury Earthquake Anniversary

This month we mark the anniversary of the devastating earthquake that changed our lives forever. This is an important day for us to reflect on what happened that day and also to look at how far we have come. We have been on an astonishing journey and faced many challenges.

So much has been achieved in the city and much of the work that has taken place would not have been possible without the support and vision of the education sector. Operating during times of so much change hasn’t always been easy, but through your leadership and strength we have achieved so much. Thank you!

Civic Service

The ninth anniversary of the 22nd February 2011 earthquake was marked with a public civic service at the Oi Manawa Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial. The service was held on Saturday 22nd February 2020, on the north bank of the Memorial site, on the corner of Montreal Street and Cambridge Terrace in the central city.

The Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards

Entries for the 2020 Awards opened on 24 February until 10 April.

The Awards recognise and celebrate outstanding achievements in early learning, primary and secondary schooling so start thinking about what story your team would like to share. You can find information on the Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards website.

Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards website(external link)

Learning Support – Early Intervention

Our Learning Support Team work with families and early childhood educators who ask for help when they are concerned about the learning and development of young children. This may concern a child’s disability, behaviour and/or communication difficulties.

We have a range of specialists who will work with your team. Depending on the family/whānau and educators’ needs, the team might include a:

• speech-language therapist
• early intervention teacher
• psychologist
• adviser on deaf children
• kaitakawaenga (Māori cultural adviser).

If you have any concerns around a child in your service then please talk to your local Ministry of Education Service Manager. They can discuss learning support options with you.

Learning support services

Futures Network - 2020

Please note that the first meeting will be held on:

Tuesday 17th March, 9.30am – 11.30am (Venue details will be send out soon)

Agenda:

Welcome
MOE update – Vanessa Goodwin
Community Notices
ERO – Sandra Collins
Shared lunch – opportunity to network

Please note that for health and safety purposes the names of those attending are required. Please RSVP with names to Rebecca.radley@education.govt.nz by Thursday 15 March.

A big thanks again to Sandy Radford and Viv Shearsby for the work they have and continue to do to make these Hui relevant and interesting. Please remember to contact either of them, or Rebecca Radley in our office, should you have ideas for future focus.

Mā te wā,

Coralanne Child
Director of Education for Canterbury | Chatham Islands
Phone: 03 378 7345
Mobile: 0274 200 251
Email: coralanne.child@education.govt.nz

Otago, Southland regional news

Kia ora koutou and warm Pasifika greetings

Welcome back to 2020! I know you will have exciting plans ahead to work with the staff, parents, whānau and community to support the learning pathways of the children in your services.

The Education Work Programme decisions and actions were a key part of our work last year and we expect this to continue in 2020. We will keep you updated with this throughout the year, both in the main part of the Bulletin and specific regional updates through this section. I meet regularly with Reference Groups in Otago and Southland that include early learning representatives which also provide a chance to discuss key information in more depth. I am happy to meet with more groups – please let me or your Education Adviser know if you would like this option.

A highlight this month was the Ngāi Tahu Te Tiriti o Waitangi celebrations held at Ōtākou marae, where a community events programme provided wonderful entertainment for the whole family.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi Celebrations

This year celebrations were held at Ōtākou marae, with representation from Onuku (Christchurch) and Murihiku (Southland). The wero accepted by the Minister of Health David Clark on behalf of the government and manuhiri was followed by a stunning karanga and a number of speeches. The focus this year was on Te Hereka Waka - the arrival of people’s ancestors to Aotearoa. The afternoon speeches told stories of the key chiefs who signed the Treaty and talked of their leadership within the context of the time. One of the chief signatories from Onuku, had jumped on a boat in the 1830’s and spent two years in Bordeaux in France. He had been to England and Germany, and could speak two Te Reo dialects as well as German, French and English. His intellectual prowess was noted by the English officers at the time of signing. The community at Ruapuke Island was also discussed and the vital role it played in early trade in the region.

As usual the lunchtime kai was stunning, with crayfish, muttonbird, whitebait and smoked fish. Almost as good as the offering at Bluff, Awarua!

Contact in an emergency – Mataara

In an emergency event we want to be able to connect with you as quickly and simply as possible so that we can find out if you need our help. Over the last year, the Ministry has been developing Mataara, a school and early learning emergency mass contact tool that allows us to quickly text you in the event of an emergency in your area (such as a fire, flood or earthquake). You can then reply to our message by text letting us know your service’s status. Mataara collates this information so that we can plan a response to help you, as well as provide useful information to other agencies such as NZ Police and Civil Defence.

We used Mataara in early February for the flooding in Southland and South Otago. This was the first use of Mataara for early learning services – thank you to those that did respond. We were pleased with the rate of response and your feedback and queries have been useful to work through to improve our response. As with any new system, we are refining the process and have noted a few key reminders below:

• You can update your status during the same day – so if you respond that you are open, and later decide to close, please send an additional reply to the original text. We’ll then know you are closed, and contact you if you indicate you need help.
• Texting you are closed is now sufficient information to generate an emergency closure letter – we will send this to you a week or so following the event.
• If an event goes over several days – we will send a new text each day.
• If you are the emergency contact for a number of services, you will only receive one message and it won’t specify what service it relates to. We will follow up, but a text response indicating the status and the name of the service you are responding to would be helpful.
• Mataara is free for you to use. The message comes from 8707 and will only be used by the Ministry. You may like to save this number to your phone as assurance that it has come from us. An email will also be sent to the address listed as your emergency contact email – a reply to this email will also be recorded as a response in the system.

We had planned to run a test for all early learning services in the Otago Southland region in December 2019. Unfortunately we were unable to do this, so will run a test instead in early March. This will give you a chance to see what a message looks like, and will allow you to also check the emergency contact information we hold. The message will start with “TEST: This is a message from the Ministry of Education” – followed by a set of instructions to respond. Please do respond accordingly – this will give us a good idea of coverage and we will follow up with those that don’t respond over the following week.

If you think your information needs updating, please contact your Education Adviser.

New Services

We are pleased to share some information about two of our most recently licensed services.

Gem’s Rātā – Gem’s opened their third early learning service early last month within our region. Here the children get to enjoy regular visits to Gem’s farm where they are able to explore and discover the outdoors, whatever the weather. The farm is a working sheep and beef farm where children can experience the seasonal nature of a real farm, such as lambing, tailing, weaning and helping sick animals. This environment encourages children to develop self-esteem and learn practical skills such as innovation, problem solving, risk taking, teamwork and creativity. It’s lovely to see that the children are able to have a real New Zealand experience and learn to appreciate the beauty of the outdoors.

Just Like Home Childcare – this is our newest homebased network based in Wanaka servicing both Wanaka and Queenstown Lakes. The philosophy values young children as taonga, to be cherished and loved. Partnerships are valued with family and whānau, as they work together within a holistic approach instilling a natural love for learning. It’s encouraging that children are able to learn through play, engaging their curiosity and increasing their sense of adventure, allowing them to freely interact with nature and those around them.

Please contact me if you wish to discuss any issues or ideas. I look forward to hearing from you.

Ngā mihi mahana

Julie Anderson
Director of Education Otago-Southland
Direct dial: 03 471 5217
Mobile: 027 836 484
Email: julie.anderson@education.govt.nz

Last reviewed: 14 February 2024 Has this been useful? Give us your feedback