Principal's Welcome 

24th March 2023

Tēnā Koutou Katoa

Last week, students across the country were affected by the one day teachers strike. As most teachers at Glendowie College belong to the PPTA, we were not able to be open for instruction. On the day, Jan Tinetti, the Minister of Education, was hopeful that the current industrial dispute could be resolved without the need for further strikes. They are sentiments I agree with.

Teaching has become much more complex and demanding in my forty years in the profession. The role today is much more nuanced. We try to meet the individualised needs of students, know their learning styles, and ensure that their wellbeing is maintained, while still challenging them academically. We have transitioned from being teachers of subjects to teachers of learners, and the quality of teaching has improved because of that.

We need quality people in the profession who put young people at the centre. At Glendowie College, we are fortunate to have such people. I am worried that the current dispute will turn prospective teachers away from the profession if all they hear is that teachers are inadequately paid, not valued and that their working conditions are challenging and stressful. This would be unfortunate as the profession can be richly rewarding.

Finland is seen as a leader in education. One of the reasons why is that teachers are valued and have high status in the community. I remember one Finnish university professor, presenting at an educational conference, stating that the reason he was a university professor was because he did not meet the entry requirements to be a primary school teacher. A quality teacher can change lives. Here is an extract from an email one of our teachers received recently from a former student.

You supported me even when I got in trouble, disrupted classes and got sent to your Dean’s office more than once. I ended up getting an engineering degree. … These achievements stem back to you (name redacted), you gave meaning to a lost, confused young man who doubted his abilities and lacked discipline. You saw what others didn’t and fostered an environment that was not only fun but had clear boundaries and consequences for stepping over them. Before I stepped into your class, I was consistently bottom of the class in all subjects including Maths, you gave me confidence, you taught me in a way that I understood, and you helped me develop not only my mathematical skills but my learning skills as a whole. So (name redacted) I thank you for everything you have given me, you are an amazing teacher, I feel extremely lucky to have had you as mine.

Parent/Teacher/Student conferencing will be taking place on Thursday 30 March (online) and Tuesday 4 April (in person), both evenings being from 3.00pm until 8.00pm. Please take advantage of this opportunity to discuss your child(ren)’s progress with their teachers.

Further to my last newsletter, the college sports programme continues to be incredibly busy. Trials for winter sports teams have started and the summer sport season is coming to a conclusion with a number of teams and individuals competing in Auckland and national championships.

The Rowing Squad performed very well at the recent ‘North Island Championships’ gaining two Gold, two Silver and a Bronze medal as well as making 16 ‘A’ and 13 ‘B’ finals. These are our best results in at least five years. We wish the rowers well for the ‘Maadi Cup’ which is next week at Lake Karapiro.

Included in the Board report is some information about claiming your tax rebate from donations made. You may wish to give your school donation prior to the end of the financial year on 31 March 2023. The donation is needed to help fund extra staffing, equipment and resources.

Ngā mihi nui 

Gordon Robertson

Principal

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