Te Ao Kei Tua

Rowandale School principal Karl Vasau is passionate about how Tūmeke Tumuaki can help his fellow school leaders reach into their communities this week to help build consensus for making greater change through Te Ao Kei Tua | Creating Our Future.. The week recognising the contribution of principals to their schools and communities – groups that…

Helping put a support network around principals and constant communication is the key to improving hauora and ensuring a strong and positive relationship between school leaders and their Board of Trustees, a governance expert believes. The latest Deakin University wellbeing survey shows that hauora continues to trend down amongst school leaders, who are increasingly burdened…

Increasing the funding for more staffing and resourcing at primary schools could go a long way to reducing work demands on school leaders and help improve their feelings of hauora according to one of the authors of Deakin University’s annual wellbeing report. Dr Ben Arnold, who is in the Educator Health and Wellbeing research group…

“We’re kind of that stage that if we were a tea towel, we’re completely rung out… we need some extra sustenance and change to rejuvenate to get back to doing the best possible job we can for our kids.” Paul Barker has a simple metaphor to describe how he and his fellow tumuaki feel at…

Liam Rutherford often doesn’t get time to stop and reflect about how he is sitting in the sixth floor of a central Wellington office building as NZEI Te Riu Roa President, but when he does, he recognises the influence his principal Wayne Jenkins has had in getting him there. Liam has spent almost three years…

Taneatua School principal Marama Stewart sounds a little bit out of breath down the phone from her school in eastern Bay of Plenty. “Sorry, I’ve just spent the last 30 minutes roller skating with a bunch of five-year olds,” she says. “We have someone come in every Friday just to give them a few lessons.…

Amesbury School principal Urs Cunningham’s first ‘official’ term in charge was “the toughest” she has ever encountered. The ever-evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic meant things were changing “daily” as her school in the north-Wellington suburb of Churton Park grappled with multiple children and staff being forced to isolate as the Omicron wave took hold.…

Kairo McLean was overhwelmed at his official whakatau/powhiri as the new principal of Aorangi School in Rotorua at the end of last term and not just because it had been delayed for more than three months because of Covid-19. It had been hectic start to his new role as he got used to the added…