Tēnā koutou, 

I would like to begin by saying a huge thank you to Eilís Chaiside, our Sports Lead teacher. All hubs have begun a module of six weeks of sports coaching at the ASB Centre in Kilbirnie, which has been organised by Eilís. Last week we had our very successful year 4-6 swimming sports competition last week, also organised and run by Eilís. These events take a lot of planning and prep, and Eilís has done a fantastic job with both of them. Coming up we have our swimming sports carnival for year 1-3 students, and our Junior Invitational Cross Country, with many other local schools competing. All of these events, and others to come, give our tamariki a wide range of opportunities, and the work put into them by kaiako such as Eilís is very much appreciated. 

Book Club for teachers and leaders

Last week we began our fourth round of book club for kaiako (teachers) and educators at Amesbury School and in other local schools. The club is entirely optional and very informal. So far we have read a variety of books linked to learning and leadership, and we've made connections with a range of different kaiako and leaders. 

Our current book is Love + Work by Marcus Buckingham, a researcher, author and psychometrician (dealing with measurement and behaviour). The book explores the importance of our uniqueness and of the need to find our own unique joys and passions in what we spend the majority of our time doing. 

As I read the book, I have found myself thinking about this for myself and our staff. What are my 'red threads' - the things that fill my cup and bring me joy? When was the last time I lost track of time because I was so immersed in what I was doing? When did I instinctively volunteer for something because it resonated so strongly with me? I am trying to pay more attention to this, and trying to ensure I spend at least some time each week on my own red threads. 

I am also interested in how we can work with our tamariki to help them to identify their red threads. How can we design learning programmes that enable ākonga (students) to discover and spend time on their own passions and unique contributions to the world. Food for thought...

Have a lovely week, and hopefully each you have the chance to spend some time on activities and endeavours that bring you joy. 

Ngā mihi nui, 

Urs Cunningham