Once a year our kaiako (teachers) from across the motu come together at our annual hui, held in late January this year, in Tāmaki Makaurau. From Ōtepoti, Waitaha, Rotorua, and Tāmaki Makaurau, from Care & Protection, Youth Justice, and community campuses, this is the only opportunity for these teaching specialists to meet kanohi ki te kanohi. The rest of the year we meet via Zoom, which can be a different experience to a mainstream school, where cross-department catch ups are easy to arrange. The annual hui is just one part of collaborating and coordinating our educational delivery for consistency of practice throughout the wider Kingslea School tīmu.

Our ‘Mana Ako Practice Framework’ is a set of comprehensive documents that form Kingslea School’s pou herenga e toru (three mooring posts). These provide detailed guidance for our teachers that is evidence-based and supports our school values. At this year’s hui we launched our ‘Responding Authentically to Neuro-Diversity’ pou, the final mooring post in the framework. This joins our ‘Responding authentically to Trauma’ and ‘Responding authentically to Culture’ pou, providing guidance that complements and supports our kaiako. Ngā mihi nui for your mahi Dr Melanie Atkinson, Professor Angus Macfarlane, Associate Professor Sonja Macfarlane, Gordie Palmer, Jan Stevens, and everyone else involved.

As well as the launch, lots of re-invigorating kōrero and teaching and learning discussion was had. The hui is also an important time to welcome new teachers to our Kingslea School whānau, and reiterate our school vision of ‘rediscovering the magic of learning’, our Strategic Goals, and our school values. Ngā mihi nui also to Nigel Latta and Kathryn Berkett, our guest speakers, it was a joy to have you speak for us.