Nau mai hoki mai, welcome back everyone!

It’s been lovely to have the students back and seeing their faces full of smiles. The school comes to life once the students enter the school gates each morning!

I have been visiting the classrooms over the last few days and reconnecting with the learners. I couldn’t help but notice the range of learning opportunities that allow for Learner Agency. Examples can be seen across the school from students making decisions and taking action while Learning Through Play and others choosing to get straight into their ‘Must Do’s’ when they arrive at school. I saw our Roopuu Maahuri and Puaawai learners engaged in self evaluation and discovering their next learning goals to inform the teaching workshops. The relevant learning progressions had been shared with the students and the students were monitoring how they were tracking as they completed the assessment tasks. Teachers guided the students using the learning progressions to help identify their next steps and together they made plans to achieve these goals. I also witnessed students’ problem solving an intergalactic issue after an alien spacecraft crashed into the classroom and left quite a mess on the carpet! The learners were making plans and choosing an area in which they would develop their expertise, in order to help the Zorgon aliens rebuild their alien planet!

Students have a sense of "agency" when they feel in control of things that happen around them; when they feel they can influence events. This is an important sense for learners to develop. They need to be active participants in their learning.  

Learner Agency Spotlight- New Zealand Curriculum

Students take ownership of their learning: When learners link content to their passions and interests, they have a greater stake in what they are doing. When they set personal goals, the learning becomes theirs. This sense of ownership leads to increased motivation.

Self-regulating skills develop: When learners can make decisions on how to organise and reflect on their learning, they develop the ability to self-monitor. These self-management skills create lifelong learners.

Student voice emerges: When learners are able to make authentic contributions to their school, environment, or community through their learning, their voice finds expression leading to greater empowerment.

Ministry of Education

You may have seen our Puketaha ‘Self Determined Learner Profile’ which outlines 5 key behaviours of an agentic learner.

Slightly off the topic of aliens…The Board of Trustees and myself are very pleased to announce that Mr Jason Boobyer has been appointed the permanent position of Deputy Principal. He has been acting in the role during Term 1. Jason is highly dedicated to our school vision and has a raft of skills that he brings to the role of Deputy Principal. Jason will continue teaching in Roopuu Puaawai, as he currently is, as well as having leadership release days. Congratulations Jason, very well deserved. 

We look forward to an exciting term ahead!

Ngaa mihi,

Nyree Olliver