Board of Trustees Minutes 25 March 2020

Date: Wednesday 25 March 2020

Time: 6.30 pm

Venue: Zoom meeting

Administration

  1. Attendees: K Smith, B Dean, R Sloper, D Eng, R Kirkman, C Thurston, J Pohatu, R Savage (from 8pm)

  2. Apologies - none

  3. New declaration of interests

    1. D Eng will be starting a new job working for the Office of the Auditor General. There is probably no conflict but issues could arise surrounding the audit and therefore he may have to give up the finance portfolio. TBC.

  4. NZSTA updates:

    1. Surrounding Covid-19

  5. Correspondence

    1. Resolution by email, Tuesday 10 March 2020:

Resolved, That the Ridgway Board of Trustees applies to the Lion Foundation for funding of $25,000 towards the cost of constructing the pump track section of the Tawatawa Vogelmorn bike track (Moved, B Dean; Seconded, J Pohatu; Carried, Unanimously - agreement also received by R Sloper, D Eng, R Kirkman, C Thurston, K Smith ).

  1. Confirmation of previous meeting minutes

Resolved, That the February 12 2020 Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes are accepted and approved (Moved, K Smith;Seconded, B Dean; Carried, Unanimously).

Ridgway's Strategic Aims

Governance:

Renewing our mission/vision: next steps (See minuted presentation by R Savage below)




Goal 1: Learning Achievement

  1. Presentation of Principal's report

    1. Priority for meeting is to finalise the budget.

    2. There are some outstanding questions which K Smith & R Sloper will respond to.

    3. Note: Budget is created in groups of costs.

    4. Question regarding impact of Covid-19 on budget

      1. Some impact regarding purchase of 3M products which the school will ask for donations to cover cost.

      2. Purchase of more chromebooks.

    5. D Eng & R Sloper have gone through budget and it is ready to be approved.

Resolved, That the 2020 Ridgway School Budget is accepted and approved (Moved, J Pohatu;Seconded, R Kirkman; Carried, Unanimously).

  1. Content of Principals report

    1. K Smith has reviewed expectations for the Principal's report but wants clarity over what the Board would like to see in the report.

ACTION: D Eng and R Kirkman will have a look at Principals report and clarify what board would like to see in it and get back to K Smith regarding this.

  1. Board wants to see how we are proceeding against the strategic aims.

  2. Clarification made that the BOT has responsibility to make sure that business as usual is proceeding.

  3. Suggestion made to simplify the report by providing a set of links on a page that the board can access.

  4. Thanks to R Sloper for providing clarity around signing off of documents in the case that the school is closed.

    1. Confirmed that the school is closed and so documentation will go to R Kirkman.

  5. Discussion around pandemic plan. It is currently written for Level 2.

  6. What are the requirements for a pandemic plan and schools reopening

ACTION: K Smith to update plan with information for reopening.

3. Enrolment scheme update and next steps

  1. No updates

ACTION: D Eng & K Smith to talk through next steps of enrolment scheme.

4. Potential late school starts

  1. To discuss next time.

Goal 2: Hauora Wellbeing

1. Coronavirus: support for school community (all)

a. Question regarding about how Principal, staff are going.

i. Staff meeting happened today

ii. Staff learning to manage caseloads/emails through experiencing the home learning environment

iii. Potential for things to ease off for teachers as routine and familiarity for home learning improves.

iv. All staff have access from home.

1. In the situation where a teacher gets unwell they have the potential for support from other teachers in the same whānau.

v. Acknowledgement of huge staff contribution and team work to achieve what they have in the days leading up to school closure as result of Covid 19 pandemic.

vi. 3M products will enhance learning of junior school while school is out and will last an extended period if necessary.

vii. K Smith's focus next week will be on teacher, student and whānau wellbeing.

ACTION: Board to write letter to all staff in the school who worked hard whilst managing their own and children's anxieties.

Goal 3: Environment Community

1. Property: update (Cushla)

  1. PCG meeting tomorrow

    1. This will include update of impact of Covid 19.

  2. Comments on drawings from February

    1. Main entrance moved

    2. Few more windows put in

      1. Some discussion about improving use of the view.

      2. Consideration for sink in sick bay

    3. 60%+ through developed design

    4. C Thurman is happier with ceilings and believes they have increased ceiling height downstairs.

    5. Question about landscaping - are we having circular track?

      1. Teachers have suggested this circle as an activity trail

2. Kahui Ako Kaitiaki update (R Kirkman)

  1. Meeting cancelled

3. Traffic safety on Mornington Road: update from liaison with WCC

  1. B Dean has been emailing the council.

  2. Council did site visit and are unable to put in disability park due to safety concerns with the footpath.

  3. May be a consideration for the new build.

  4. Council could put some permanent 'cones' on driveway to dissuade parents from making u-turns in the driveway. B Dean to follow up with WCC.

4. Bike Track update

  1. $13000 from Lion Foundation for Pump track.

  2. Thanks to all involved.

  3. Possibility of landscaping area at bottom of hill into wetland area.

ACTION: B Dean to approach parents with landscaping skills for expert input and opinion.

5. Engagement: information posters in office for building project and zoning

  1. School fair cancelled

ACTION: C Thurman to ask for drawings to put in the building diary.

6. BOT Term 1 newsletter: has been drafted, needs to be finalised

ACTION: J Pohatu to finalise newsletter to be emailed out.

Presentation from Regan Savage regarding School vision and mission:

Thanks to Regan for giving his time

- C Thurston has given Regan a brief of the process thus far for school mission and vision.

- Regan aware of some of the process undertaken by Weaving Futures

- K Smith and R Savage have met and talked through his process so far which he is sharing with us tonight.

- GOAL: distil down all previous thinking and discussion into something more succinct.

- Prerequisites include:

o Teachers have time to think and develop

o A school that enables creativity and discovery

o Buildings that make it easier to teach and learn

o Parent's, whānau and community are part of school life

- Desired outcomes:

o Children who are confident to live their values

o Children who think critically about the world

o Children who care for others - peers, whānau, community - manaakitanga

o Children who value social and environmental capital - kaitiakitanga

- Forces of change:

o Role of Te Ao Māori in the classroom and in NZ

o Technological change - both quantum and rate

o Sustainability - climate/ecological issues and opportunities

o Government polocies - both pedagogical and administrative

- Values

o Resourceful

o Respect

o Responsible

o Resilient

- Vision: To grow world-ready tamariki

- Mission: Preparing the next generation by living our values every day

Followed by discussion:

- Thank you for time and clarity that gives to a big topic.

- Positive feedback regarding place of Te Ao Maori and Ridgway school (and wider society).

- Clarity around vision, mission and meaning of both.

- Suggestions: Possibly remove 'To' from Our Vision, do people like the word 'grow' - does it encompass all we want it to?

- Discussion around use of words 'next generation' in Our Mission

- Suggestions around combining both: Growing world-ready tamariki by living our values every day.

Closing

1. Outstanding action points from previous meetings

2. Any other business

3. Next meeting: 29 April

Meeting closed: 8:30 pm

Signed as a correct record: ____________________________________

Chairperson / /2020
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