Building connections and strengthening links

Recently Auckland Normal Intermediate School hosted a teacher only day for some schools in our ACCoS Community. There were five schools involved. These were Auckland Normal Intermediate School, Cornwall Park District School. Maungawhau School, Epsom Normal Primary School and Newmarket School.

The day was coordinated by the deputy principals in the schools. In total approximately 160 teachers attended. There were 16 Sessions offered over two time timeframes and these were created by our In School and Across School Leaders.

Here is the link to their presentation slides.

Here is the link to the official photos taken on the day.

The day began with coffee and registration by 8.30am. Then Jill Farquharson introduced the day and together with attending school principals, set the scene for the day.

First up our plenary speaker was Tim O’Connor, Headteacher of Auckland Grammar School and one of his Associate headmasters Sam MacNaughton.

Tim spoke about Building Connections and Strengthening LInks. He shared a little about the school’s 150 year history. He spoke passionately about the importance of resiliency and connections to Mental health.

Some takeaways from his session included the importance of having:

• a values based environment. 
  
• Starting everyday with a school wide assembly
  

The School Assembly

• Philosophy hooks into well being
  
• Come together as a school and provide opportunities for children to come together. This provides well being support. 
  
• Humour, existed have fun because the structure
  

Student Support

Link head and heart service.

Normilises the idea that speaking to a councillor is a good idea.

There is a greater display of resilience.

Rainbow ticked organisation

Provided an opportunity for boys to have conversations around gender identity 

Courageous conversations.

https://schooltv.me/

MIOMO - Making it on my own by Yvonne Godfrey

Growing good teenagers which provides young people with advice and guidance in these years

Harmful Impact of Pornography by Maree Crab

Many young men had ready access to pornography and the school needed to front it and address the dangers/harm of this. Run a programme with the Year 10’s every year for the past few - discussing how this could impact relationships.

This comes back to the transparency we operate on.

Character Education Programmes

Whakapapa - who am I?

Turangawaewae - where do I belong/fit in?

Whanaungatanga - how do I serve or how do I contribute?

This builds upon the acceptance of who we are and the tools to converse with those who don’t accept it.

This program is layered with a health education that occurs throughout all of the year levels.

EOTC in Ohakune

This occurs via Hillary for the Year 10’s, among other year levels.

Teaching Framework

Put together a framework using deliberate decisions based on feedback.

Sheer distraction of social media.

• 5 hours less time so no mobile devices are allowed in school.
  
• Vaping is also harmful and seductive.
  
• Vape detectors into bathrooms
  

Lesson Objectives are really clear

The boys are clear on: What do I have to do?

After the opening speaker the teachers were given the opportunity to have morning tea and make connections with others from other schools.

Then we moved into our break out sessions hosted by our ISL and ASL break out sessions. 

Finally we convened back to the library to collect our pre ordered lunch and used the opportunity to catch up with colleagues and share some of our learnings.

Overall the day was successful. The teachers from within  our schools had the chance to see ACCoS in  action