March 2010

Tena koutou te whānau o te kura Muritai

Community engagement events – National Standards

On 2 March we had a successful evening sharing information about how we use assessment to inform teaching and learning and the implications of National Standards. About 25 parents attended a forum where we discussed the various assessment tools and practices that enable teachers to make informed decisions about where to focus efforts for teaching and learning for each child.

During term one management and teachers worked to understand the Standards’ descriptions (which were only released in November 2009) and match them against available assessment tools. This will enable student performance to be reported against the standards in the term two report, with some very small changes to the report format to include the specific information requirements of National Standards.

Overall implementation of National Standards at Muritai means continuing to use the assessment tools we have been using, and ensuring that the targets that we would set anyway align with the Standards. We noted that many of the issues that commentatotors have raised are mitigated by doing more than just stating that each student is “above”, “at”, or “below” the standard. We will ensure that the dialog with parents and students is meaningful and enables them to understand where students are performing, what the expectations are for national standards and higher achievement, how to get there, and how the learning programme will support lifting the level of achievement.

We are running a blog which has got followers outside the community (including the Ministry of Education). Visit http://mattskilton.blogspot.com/ for up to date information, or to ask a question on National Standards.

BOT Election

The election of your parent-elected trustee representatives will be run by 7 May via postal ballot. Our Board has five parent-elected trustees, and three are not standing for re-election. This means there will be some change in our membership.

Nominations for the election are being sought now up to 23 April, with voting to occur between 28 April and 7 May. Details about standing has been distributed, contact the school office for more infprmation or nomination forms. We welcome your input.

Visit http://www.muritaitv.blogspot.com/ for a two minute video about the board. Comments from board members about our role:

Comment one:

School boards were introduced in 1989as a way of devolving accountability for good education to parents and communities. Over years, our test has been whether we as BOT members have been adding value to the school and outcomes it achieves for students and their families. We are lucky to have an outstanding Principal and staff at Muritai.

Serving on the BOT both serves as a window into how the school works and as a genuine way to contribute to your own children’s education, and the wider community. There is much to learn about how good teaching is delivered in the classroom and new perspectives – being on the inside fosters new understanding of the challenges and new respect for teachers. And there are goals to pursue – we want the school to be the centre of the Eastbourne community; for our students to be the best that they can be; and for them to leave with a love of learning and prepared for the world.

There are challenges. Our NZ society has its issues, and we have our share in Eastbourne; our children bring many of those through the school gates each morning. The job of the BOT is to provide steady governance of the school; not to manage it and solve all the issues it faces, but to ensure the Principal and staff have a programme and resources needed to succeed. Trustees don’t need to be education experts. They do need to be committed, constructive, energetic, willing to learn and to be able to work together over years. The opportunity is to contribute to maintaining and building the centre of the Eastbourne community.

Comment two:

The Board’s core role is to ensure that community desires for student learning and experiences at school occur. While we need to understand government direction, we are accountable primarily to the local community. The board engages with the community about what and how students learn, sets direction for the school in the form of a charter. Working alongside the Principal it is accountable for achievement of our desired objectives, and is able to report performance to the community each year.

In addition to the strategic direction, the Board sets limits about operational practices as formal policies. The relevant policies are on the school website, www.muritai.school.nz. It is no small point that the Board is the employer of all staff, and has some formal responsibilities for that for which these policies support.

The Board role is an active one, and we are fortunate at Muritai to have really well functioning Boards where the dialogue is constructive and deliberate to reach decisions. The Principal is key to all this - as the board’s key adviser on education matters and operational performance, he has a critical job. The Board meets monthly, and various sub-committees engage offline to progress things like property, community engagement, personnel, finance or self-review matters, as necessary. No specific skills are needed to participate as a trustee, but we will draw on your experience and community contacts to inform what and how we decide what’s best for the school.

Board work programme

Some of our focus areas in 2010 are:

· Property – this year the Board has two main goals – first to complete a strategic property plan through to 2015, and secondly, within that to develop the Library.

· New Curriculum and National Standards - This year the Board must ensure that the revised Curriculum is fully implemented in the School, as well as the requirements of National Standards. We are planning two more public meetings to share our progress with you and get your input to guide how we do this for 2010 and for planning for the future. This is an opportunity for you to get closer to how children are learning, so you can be part of the journey with your child.

· Strategic review – the engagements on the new Curriculum will inform our planning for 2011, but during 2011, we will want to refresh our long-term strategy.

As public meetings, you are welcome to attend the Board meetings, monthly in the staffroom. Next meeting 26 April.

Tim Wake has stepped down from the Board due to a work transfer. We thank Tim for his excellent work as a trustee over the last 3 years and wish him and his family all the best for his transfer to Auckland. Peter Schroder was elected as Chairperson for the April meeting. We also welcome Lisa Allen to the Board as staff representative.

We wish you well in the holidays, with a welcome break for teachers and students coming up. Should you wish to contact the board, please use the details below.

Ma te wa (until next time)

Muritai School Board of Trustees

Contact the Board through board@muritai.school.nz