What a welcome...

 

WOW I sure am grateful to be here. 

Shelley said the stars aligned and I sure do agree. 

New Year, New Role, New Start

WOW, what a start to 2024...

For a few years now I have been interested in the Learning Support Co-ordinator Roles. I have three friends in these roles and I see their impact, their job satisfaction and their JOY in their roles. 

Increasingly, the travel in my work was getting out of control. 

Very late last year, the stars aligned, and I have accepted a role as Learning Support Co-ordinator in the Beachside Cluster, across Tainui and Musselburgh Schools. 

I am beyond excited. 

“And suddenly you know it’s time to start something new and trust the MAGIC of beginnings…”

11 years ago today I started with CORE Education and it has been a MAGICAL carpet ride, making friends for life, working with incredible educators, and travelling… an incredible amount of travel… especially around the south, and also out to the Chathams and even over to Denver for ISTE! 

Now it’s time for a new chapter! I am ridiculously excited for this new beginning! In a way, it feels like bringing together my life as a teacher, deputy principal, mentor and facilitator of happiness, into the privilege of walking alongside learners, families and teachers! 

A new chapter begins…

As part of my move to a new role, it was very important for me to spend time in Wellington with our Founders Nick Billows, Derek Wenmoth and my mentor Mary Anne Mills. What a week! It really was unreal.

So many amazing things happened last week. One in particular is very important to my new journey. I had the privilege of spending time with Harry Mills, CEO, The Aha! Advantage, and author of numerous books. We had incredible discussions as our current and recent reading has many overlaps. I shared this image with Harry:

Harry immediately recognised the style and made the connect that this is the illustrator of the images in Adam Grant's latest book, Hidden Potential. 

I discussed with Harry, my recent changes, and my passion for Positive Psychology. I was in the process of enrolling for my Master of Positive Psychology out of Melbourne, when I won my new role.

Harry offered me an incredible opportunity. He suggested I locate ten books that will challenge me, support me, engage me, inspire me, and cause me to flourish in my role. I am incredibly grateful for this and indeed, I have my first two books. 

Building on my recent success with Whole School Educator Wellbeing, I believe I will get a lot more out of these reads, if I engage in discussion, through chapter chat. 

So... this is where I start...

Book one is: 

No Hard Feelings 

Emotions at Work (and how they help us succeed)

By Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy

Book 2 is:

The Learning Challenge

How to Guide Students Through the Learning Pit to Achieve Deeper Understanding

By James Nottingham

So here is a link to the chapter chat...

 

I can't wait for you to join this fun...

Hi Blog, I'm back...

 WOW I can hardly believe how long I have been missing in action. I have blogged loquaciously in a private reflection blog over the last few years. 

SOOO excited to be back... and I have so much to share...

Reading Science in Schools Link

Reading Science in Schools - curating link for future reading and reference.  

Q for Quality - Day 3 Alert Level 4

 Q for Quality... and what a quality day this has been...

The sun shone, the birds sang... and I got stuck into work. 

21 degrees and it was a time for walk. 

I had been looking up at Chain Hills and was looking forward to a bit of an uphill climb, but oh my goodness, it was a hot day for this...

It was so good to see the motorway so quiet... this pause really must have been so good for the universe again. 

Up the old motorway, and along chain hill road, and I decided to head down through the paddock. What an adventure this turned out to be. I met a very friendly, cute little lamb. 

Stunning views over town towards the ocean...

Heading back down through the paddocks... I had to find my way around the paths, across the gully and found myself inside an electric fence area... a bit of slithering and manoeuvring and I was safely out... Looking back up it doesn't look anywhere near as steep as it seemed on the way down...

Nearly 8km walk in that heat, over those hills... a quality walk on a quality day...

Driveway drinks was a very nice reward at the end of the day. It is so good to have such great neighbours... we sat and yarned til the sunset and the day began to cool. 

I ended this quality day staying up wayyyy too late, but oh it was worth it to see Holly Robinson win a gold in the Javelin for New Zealand. So good to see Raylene interviewed with her too. Well done team.

P for Purpose - Day 2 Alert Level 3

P for purpose... Purpose is my one word for 2021. I am committed to thinking about what I do, and checking in on myself that I am purposeful in my life. 

So today, a day on purpose. 

I spent hours this morning catching up on recordings and tidied my office. It was sad to see this slide in Helen's session, to see all the people who have left CORE... we miss them. 

WOW what a space my office is becoming. It is soooo fabulous to be home to have time to actually enjoy my office space. 

I also found some absolute treasures... this collection of cereal cards from 25 - 30 years ago is an absolute treasure. I must show these to little guy next time. 

And would you believe, another 19 degree day. I was really sore after that mammoth 33km ride yesterday. Getting out of the bed this morning I sure did feel it. The best move I made was doing a FitOn session them session 30 of the Adrienne Yoga Breath challenge.

Midday, I decided to take a break and go for a very gentle cycle. Yes, it was gentle, and indeed it was delightful to stay off the main streets. I meandered in and out of the Mosgiel street, smells the stunning scent of spring blooms and viewing gorgeous gardens. I sure didn't set out intending to bike 22.5km. 

Great mail in the post today! Mental Health Awareness resources arrived. I can't wait to use these in my mahi. Such incredible free resources. 

O for On-Track - Day 1 Alert Level 3

 O for On-Track...

What a day! My morning started early so I could have a break in the middle of the day, and what a stunner of a day I picked for this. 

An early morning Webinar was a great learning opportunity. Check out this amazing read and share widely! 

Engage Secondary Students Because the Future Depends on it.

This is such an awesome read, and the 12 points are so worth spending time reflecting on. 

After a long morning online, I headed off on an adventure and found myself on the right track... hahahaha 

Grant was back at work today, so I really missed my biking buddy. The stunning weather and lack of wind saw me head all the way out to Outram in a stunning 19degrees. That ice cream sure did taste great. 

After enjoying my ice cream in the sun I had an idea... Why not bike over to Allanton and come home that way. WOW, what a trip down memory lane. It wasn't yesterday for sure, but my summers were punctuated with bike rides from Allanton to Grantly Farm, or latterly to Outram for berry picking. I started picking black currants, moved to raspberries and had a brief stint in the boysenberry patch, until I ate more than I picked, and I moved back to the raspberries and black currants. I remember long, hot days. I remember fun and laughter and meeting lots of people. And most of all, I am soooo grateful for the work ethic I learnt, and the money I earned which enabled me to purchase my little red mini. It sure was a reminiscing ride. 

I loved everything about the ride apart from two things. Three particularly inconsiderate drivers sped by so fast, the hairs on my arm bristled, and the volume of traffic was horrendous.

And, on the straight between Outram and Allanton I must have ventured too close to a magpie's nest. WOW it was horrendous to have the magpie shadow swooping and diving... I certainly did up the pace, and eventually, after about five swoops I must have moved beyond her concern....

Teehee, another giggle, I was biking along just out of Allanton when I hear toot, toot, and who should it be, but Grant. So much for keeping my big ride, especially on the open roads, on the low down....

Back home and a stunning walk around the garden. The magnolia bud of a few short days ago burst out today, and owe what a beauty...

I am absolutely loving the hyacinth clumps. Each of these clumps have been gifts to Mum over the years. I would buy her a pot, then bring home and repot, some returned to her garden. They hold such precious memories...

And another delicious dinner. Kale, Pak choi and spinach from our garden. And an apricot and cream cheese stuffed chicken breast... delicious!

An on-track day all day...

N for NEED - Day 14 Alert Level 4

 No for NEED - need for focussing on wellbeing. Need for connecting, getting active, taking notice, learning and giving. 

What a stunning blue sky day after a nasty frost. I truly love this plant when it is flowering. 

A stunning walk with Grant around the area. I really will miss these daily outings as he starts back at work tomorrow. I am going to try and keep a walk or bike ride as a regular after work activity. 

I'll also miss our lunches in the sun...

Another real positive out of this time of pause - I have really committed to recording in my journal. It is a great journal and I love the focus it is giving me. I am being so much kinder to myself. 

How good does that look. Grant started painting the walls today, that I had water-blasted. They look AMAZING!!! I am really looking forward to us chipping away at this over the next few months...

And how awesome to finish the time in the garden tonight with picking a stunning vase of camelia. They really are an awesome flower. I can't believe our white camelia was literally browned off this morning with the frost, so plan to enjoy many vase fulls of these before they drop... I NEED flowers in vases... they are such a wonderful addition!

M for Monday - Day 13 in Alert Level 4

M for Monday, marvellous Monday, or is it. I think I enjoyed the weekend so much that I really didn't want it to end. When I checked my calendar last night I just wasn't ready for the online hours that Monday had in store for me. I started the day with FitOn. Yesterday was my first rest day in weeks and I really needed it. This morning I woke up so sore and stiff, that getting downstairs and into my workout took really dedication... and I did it.

I took a break to walk and look at the fabulous results of our weekend's work. 

Between my online sessions, I managed to fit in making a batch of savoury and a batch of date scones - YUMMO.

An a very special friend catch up to end this Marvellous Monday - yes you really were marvellous!!!

L for Learning - Day 12 Alert Level 4

 L for Learning, learning, learning...

I love it, absolutely love new learning. Today, I think my greatest learning was how much I love water-blasting. I literally spent hours blasting the outside furniture, steps, walls, under and over the deck. I came in absolutely soaked and freezing. 

Once I warmed up, I headed to the kitchen for a bit of a bake-fest. So flipping awesome. I thoroughly loved it!