More than 50 principals and education leaders from across New Zealand gathered at the three-day conference in Waitangi. Photo / Avina Vidyadharan
More than 50 principals and education leaders from across New Zealand gathered at the three-day conference in Waitangi. Photo / Avina Vidyadharan
Northland principals are pumped with motivation after spending three days learning about many transformational journeys.
For Tai Tokerau Primary Principals' Association, this seminar is an annual tradition, but this year, it was needed more than ever.
The principals conference, held in Waitangi from April 6 to 8, was attended by52 principals and leaders from the education sector from across New Zealand, of which 45 were from the region.
Kaitaia Primary principal Brendon Morrissey said the last year was tough and everyone needed some inspiration.
"Most of us can't sleep. We are worried about 'who I am taking care of the next day', 'who's going to be here, and if not, then what will that look like?' We have to make and change plans every day as school principals.
"There are way more unknowns for us to navigate through what is happening than we've ever had before. For principals, it is really upsetting because we like to plan ahead, and it is very difficult to do that with all the uncertainties.
"The speakers challenged us to challenge ourselves, to be brave and even though we are solving the problems as they come, it is a part of our mahi. They really pushed us to go further."
Kaitaia Primary School principal Brendon Morrissey said this year the principals' conference was needed more than ever. Photo / Avina Vidyadharan
TEDx speaker and author of How to Escape from Prison, Dr Paul Wood, shared his own journey from delinquent to doctor and illustrated some key lessons on "post-traumatic growth" and the importance of connection.
Rawiri Waru, born and bred in Rotorua and steeped in Te Ao Māori, gave his own example to portray the importance of Māori culture in the education system, while NZ Order of Merit recipient Helen Varney shed light upon the Pasifika perspective.
Animation Research Ltd (ARL) founder Sir Ian Taylor, who was also a speaker at the conference, talked about the incredible story of how Polynesians explored the Pacific and landed on New Zealand shores in double-hulled waka.
Born in Kaeo, Taylor received the Innovator of the Year award in 2019.
Aranga School principal Todd Warmington said it was good to get together with other like minds and make those communications and connections, "listen to these speakers give us more fire, room to breathe and to challenge us to do better."
Ruakākā principal Marilyn Dunn said Covid-19 had made most of them feel like they'd been working in isolated little islands.
"We had to stick to our island and bubble, and so we haven't been doing face-to-face meetings. Zooms have taken over.
"We just needed to get together, share some stories, have a laugh, regroup and refill our buckets really."
NZEI principal support Adrian Smith said to be a successful principal, one needed a really strong connection with the community and to be able to communicate effectively in any given context.
"NZEI is lucky to have the foresight to have a lot of connected people with policies and is very good in regards to supplying legal support needed.
"Supporting principals not only as of the employee but the employer as well. Principals have a two-fold role.
"A lot of that has to do with developing really strong relations and getting out there in the community and working with people, and not entirely within the school walls."
Smith worked as a principal in Northland for 20 years. He started his new role with NZEI last month and said one of his immediate focuses was to change NZEI from being used as an ambulance at the end to taking preventative measurements and developing relations.
"My primary reason for being here (at the conference) and a lot of my work in the last few days has been redeveloping and rekindling relations from the past, again in the hope that we will have a supportive conversation at an early stage."
