School Shorts

Parents you may have heard there’s been changes to the way reading and writing is being taught in schools.

Some schools were already making changes and each school will be at a different stage in bringing it in.

In this week’s episode, a Principal reflects on his own school’s journey, saying it’s been important to reflect and review how it’s going along the way.

If you’re interested in hearing about some of the benefits and also challenges so far, commenting 273 below will send you a DM to the full chat.

"If you hear it from elsewhere - don't worry about it. We will back you 100%."

Blair Dravitski is the principal of one of the fastest growing primary school’s in the country.

With lots of change going on in education and lots of jargon that might be new to parents, we talk about how his school tries to manage any anxiety or overwhelm around that.

Comment 273 below if you’d like a DM with a link to the full podcast.

A principal’s advice for managing pressure or change.

Blair Dravitski from Lemonwood Grove isn’t a fan of using words like ‘difficult’ or ‘challenging’ when it comes to communication, but he’s clear that any stakeholder in a school environment (teachers, families, support staff etc) should never not speak up about anything on their mind.

Comment 273 below and I’ll DM you a link to the full podcast.

Lemonwood Grove in Rolleston is one of the biggest primary schools in New Zealand in a community that has been through a lot together including Covid, earthquakes and a nearby terror attack.

Principal Blair Dravitski has led the school in recent years and has some really lovely ideas around how to keep the relationship between school and whānau. He calls it a focus on communication with heart.

Comment 273 below and I’ll DM you a link to the full conversation.

The impact of the first few years of life on your experience as an adult cannot be overstated.

Take this quote from ‘Flourishing Through Time’ report by Dr Peter Gluckman and Dr Felicia Low.

“Human development continues until the third decade of life. But each step builds on
what preceded it and so it is inevitable that the biggest returns come from early
investment.

If a child reaches school with inadequate capacity to learn, it is very hard
to repair the deficit and ensure a good educational outcome.

Likewise, if the familial, educational and social experiences in childhood are less than optimal; then the impact on the transition to adulthood is likely to be greater.”

Comment 272 and I’ll send you a DM with a link to the full conversation.

The impact of Covid on learning.

Or did Covid exacerbate a trend that was already there?

What do you think?

Comment 272 and I’ll send you a DM with a link to the full conversation.

I say ‘good girl’ and ‘good boy’ all the time to my kids, I think so many of us do out of habit and with best intentions.

I think I may try to rethink that sometimes after this chat with Ande and Carolynne from Ready 4 Learning.

They offer some food for thought about what it does to a child’s appetite to make mistakes.

Comment 272 and I’ll send you a DM with a link to the full conversation.

Some kids walk into their first day of school already behind.

It’s not because they aren't smart or their parents don’t care. But not everyone is getting the same opportunities to build the "ready for school" skills.

Ande Ford and Carolynne Masson from Ready 4 Learning have spent two decades working with families across New Zealand. They say that what they're seeing in 5 year olds now is something every parent needs to hear.

Comment 272 and I’ll send you a DM with a link to the full conversation.

If you've ever been told "it's just a phase" when you knew in your gut something was different, then this one is for you.

Tami Harris from Acorn Neurodiversity on why she thinks NZ families aren't getting early support soon enough, and what needs to change.

Comment 271 below and I’ll DM you a link to the full conversation.