WaitahaEnglish

Coming up next week: Term 4 TeachMeet
Kaupapa: Oral Langauge
Time: Tuesday 5th November, 4:30 - 6pm
Location: Avonside Girls' High School (Library)
RSVP: https://forms.gle/7GUqNtc1Ly19Dwvn9

Kia ora English teachers! Are you looking for something for your junior classes? Don't forget about the Waitaha English Steve Langley writing competition.
All details are in the link below, including the form for submissions. Entries close November 8th.

https://www.waitahaenglish.com/news/the-waitaha-english-steve-langley-writing-competition

On Thursday 29th August, 3:30, Vanessa Jarman is hosting a follow-up meeting to answer questions about the 1.3 external.

Here is the meeting link:
Microsoft Teams
Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 463 270 476 294
Passcode: GeLuee

The session will give information on key things to know about:
The essential learning of independent writing skills at Level 1
How students will demonstrate their learning in the assessment
Teaching approaches to support student learning

Waitaha English welcomes English teachers from Ōtautahi and Canterbury for our Term Three event on writing. We'll be hearing from teacehr practitioners as well as getting some guidance from our local NCEA Implementation facilitator.
Please complete this form: https://forms.gle/RJ6AGXnKXPSCiSHD6 if you are interested in attending and/or sharing your knowledge in our TeachMeet session.

Want to connect with other Kaiako and discuss all things 📖📚✍️📑?

If you are involved in setting the curriculum and enhancing the Literacy focus, this is the event for you.

Register your attendance here
https://forms.gle/w7J5zeYowsDBkZF67

New HoD & HoF event alert! Make sure to check your email for details. Teachers in charge who haven't received an email should reach out to us at [email protected].

Classic "English teacher at the pub" vibes right here.

Are you in your first four years of teaching? If so, we would love you to join us at Moon Under Water on 28 February at 6pm for a drink and a chat about how it's going for you and answer any questions you might have.

Don’t have any plans on Wednesday night? Here is a fantastic opportunity to hear from local and national Spoken Word poets in one place. Be inspired 🎤 🫶👏

Opportunity for young writers in Ōtautahi this July!

Winter: Time to Write! July 10, 11, 12, 13 Join us this winter in Ōtautahi Christchurch at the friendliest little writing school around! It's the winter school holidays and although it may be cold outside, our writing classes are warm and wonderful places of creativity and connection. This year, thanks to support from Ch...

Our Term Two Workshop & AGM is happening next week! Waitaha English is proud to host the team from Poutama Pounamu on Wednesday 31st May to facilitate a workshop on incorporating Te Ao Māori into existing units and viewing new texts through this lens. They have a kete of knowledge to share and we would love to see as many kaiako from our region as possible. https://poutamapounamu.org.nz/

If you haven't received the registration email, please let us know at [email protected] and we will forward you the information.

Update on the Literacy Standard with a first look at the marking schedule. Click the link and explore the resources.

Literacy - Assessment | NCEA

Welcome back for Term 2! Hope you have a wonderful first day working with your colleagues and students. For those on Teacher Only Day, take time to reflect what you need from your subject association.

Remember our $1200 scholarship to attend the NZATE conference in Nelson. Applications via email close on Sunday at 5pm. Encourage student teachers or friends new to the profession to take up the opportunity!

Attention all Waitaha English members! We have an opportunity for you to attend the fantastic NZATE English Conference in the July holidays.

To apply:
•Your school must have a faculty membership with Waitaha English.
•You must be able to attend the conference for the whole duration.

You need to apply via letter to Waitaha English committee explaining why you want to go. Include the benefits you see it having on you as a teacher and potentially your faculty. Email your letter with your name and the name of your school to [email protected]

If successful, you will report back to the committee on what you gained from the experience and provide support in the facilitation of a Professional Development opportunity.

All payments will be made when the successful applicant returns their receipts.

Applications close Sunday 30th April at 5pm.

A fantastic opportunity for Kaiako in our hapori. Get involved!

Happy last day of March! Thank you to all our membership faculties who have supported us this financial year. We will be sending out invoices for membership going into 2024 next week.

Having our faculty members support enables us to provide a wide range of opportunities for English staff and students around Waitaha. If your faculty wasn’t a member in 2022 and would like to join, email us at [email protected]

This time next week folks: Waitaha English Leaders 'unconference', with special guests the Ministry of Education.

10 days until the Waitaha English Leaders' meeting on 31st March. Mātauranga Māori | Local Curriculum | Literacy. Hearing from the teachers doing the mahi. It's gonna be great.
No idea that this was happening? Email Waitaha English for the details.

Waitaha English is missing a powerhouse around our committee table. Laura Borrowdale, our co-chair has stepped away from the organisation to a wonderful new role with the Ministry of Education as Learning Area Lead for English based in Christchurch. Laura is a champion for English teachers and led our organisation through major developments including our rebrand in 2021 and the Accord Day in August 2022.

She brought her passion for writing to our student competitions and encouraged our members to get involved and have their say.

We were very lucky to have had her guidance through the last year.
Kāhore taku toa i te toa takitahi, he toa takitini
Laura, you will be missed.

Welcome to 2023! Your Waitaha English committee are back on the tools and setting up a fantastic calendar of professional development and social events.

If you have moved schools or had a change in leadership, make sure you are still on the Waitaha English mailing list. We will be in touch soon with information about the first event.

Contact us at [email protected]

Thank you to all of those who attended our recent 3D Literacy event and to everyone who has supported Waitaha English over the past year.
Thanks in particular to Marie Stribling who presented to us recently.
Keep an eye on your social media and in your inboxes with the resources from the event, and for next year's opportunities.

Join us for a 3D Literacy resource creation event

Working with Tūranga's collection of NZ and Māori texts, we'll work together to create a collection of literacy/short text resources based in local curriculum and New Zealand voices.
We'll be working with Marie Stribling, DP of Te Puna Wai O Waipapa Hagley College and literacy specialist, to understand metacognitive strategies for literacy, and Sionainn Byrnes, zine-maker extraordinaire, to create something practical, shareable and beautiful.

You'll leave with:
a resource you've created yourself to support literacy using Aotearoa NZ texts
a copy of everyone else's resources
a reading list of suggested texts
an understanding of 3D metacognitive literacy strategies
a knowledge of zine making and how to use it with your classes
The event will run at Tūranga on Level 4, 5-8pm, Thursday 24th November.
This event is free for teachers from member schools, and $10 for others. All resources needed will be provided, along with nibbles.
RSVP to [email protected]

Kia ora Canterbury English teachers,

We heard your message loud and clear after the Accord Day... we know the big ideas, now we want to resource them.
In order to support this, we have two ways to engage this term: 1) a resource creation evening, and 2) an HOD/learning area leaders' group. Please note the HOD group is suitable for those who are currently HODs, as well as aspiring HODs.

1) Join us for a collaborative resource creation evening
Working with Tūranga's collection of NZ and Māori texts, we'll work together to create a collection of literacy/short text resources based in local curriculum and New Zealand voices.
We'll be working with a literacy specialist to support our resource design, and Sionainn Byrnes, zine-maker extraordinaire, to create something practical, shareable and beautiful.

You'll leave with:
a resource you've created yourself to support literacy using NZ and Māori texts
a copy of everyone else's resources
a reading list of suggested texts
an understanding of literacy strategies
a knowledge of zine making and how to use it with your classes
The event will run at Tūranga on Level 4, 5-8pm, Thursday 24th November.
This event is free for teachers from member schools, and $10 for others. All resources needed will be provided, along with nibbles.
RSVP to [email protected]

2) HOD/learning area leaders' group:
Waitaha English would love your input regarding reinstating our regular department leaders’ catch-ups, and we’re currently contemplating how this might look. We’ve created a short form to gather this input.
Please fill it out if this is relevant to you, and feel free to share it.
Here’s the form:
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/17osVUB2qqEw0vxvj_d31mmeYq10q6P79

Last term, James Jenkinson, our go-chair, decided to step away from Waitaha English to focus on his family and his day job.
James has been a mainstay of Waitaha English since 2019, championing writing competitions, events and just being a generally delightful person to have around.
James says that he is “sad to have finished my time with Waitaha English as it’s something I care about-providing support for fellow English Teachers in Canterbury.” He’s loved meeting and getting to know the community, and his hero, David Schaumann 😂.
James, we’ll miss you!

MoE have released the draft framework for English curriculum refresh. You find out more and provide feedback here:

Get involved | Curriculum Refresh Get involved Who we’re working with and ways to get involved in the refresh of The New Zealand Curriculum On this page Introduction Have your say. Get involved. Be part of the change. Over the next four years, there will be regular opportunities for you to have your say as together, we refresh The...