Tārai Kura | April 2022 | Pānui 6
By Diana Wilkes •
Welcome to our third pānui for 2022. This month we continue the theme of sharing insights and experiences from Foundation Tumuaki as they journey in establishing new schools.
In this month’s ‘Tumuaki Insights’ we hear from Sean Bailey, who was Foundation Tumuaki at Lemongrove School (opened in 2016). In his article Sean offers us valuable insights into his learning that followed in the years after the initial flurry of the first year of establishment. We get a glimpse into the challenges of maintaining and growing a healthy and effective school culture over time, and learn about the importance of a strong vision that is brought to life in the intentional practices employed by every stakeholder.
We also talk with Lisa Cavanagh, Foundation Tumuaki of Ngākōroa School in Drury West, an emerging community on the outskirts of Tāmaki Makaurau. Now in the second term of the school’s operation, Lisa and her Establishment Board have developed a growing partnership with local mana whenua, Ngāti Tamaoho. She explains how this relationship has impacted on the vision, design and day-to day operations of the school. Lisa also talks about the challenges of establishing a school through multiple COVID phases and lockdowns and opening in a temporary ‘country campus’ well outside of the community the school serves.
In our third article Wendy Sandifer, Foundation Tumuaki at Milldale School (North Auckland) gives us insight into the early stages of a new school prior to opening. The school will open in 2023 in temporary buildings whilst the permanent school is completed. Her priorities right now are around building relationships with the community, through consultation and partnership planning, and establishing her senior leadership team as two new deputy principals join her this term.
Themes of vision, integrity, grit and optimism shine through these stories and we are very grateful for their honesty and thoughtful reflections.
In this pānui we also have an update on how our first community of practice (COP) is tracking. Focusing on ‘Collaborative Approaches and Leading Change’, 27 leaders representing eight school across Auckland, met for the first hui online during Term 1. COP participants will continue to meet, hopefully kanohi ki te kanohi, each term, responding to provocations from schools we visit, sharing insights and creating new understandings as we problem solve and experiment together.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this month’s pānui. Your sharing contributes to our shared learning and helps unite us as a community focused on “shaping a treasured space for learning” and striving to be the best we can be for our learners.