It was very empowering for us kaiako from Sunnynook Kindergarten to be involved in the Pupuke Kāhui Ako COLAB day. It began with an amazing keynote from Judith Locke and ended with Tony Fernandez. We were fortunate Pupuke Kāhui Ako funded our release time to attend this fantastic professional learning event.

The opportunity to listen to the keynote speakers from different sectors was amazing. We enjoyed the chance to collaborate with colleagues in cross-sector workshops like ‘Local Histories – Engaging with the New Aotearoa NZ Histories Curriculum within a Local Context’, and ‘Culturally Responsive Practice – Tātaiako and Tapasā in Action, Music and Well-being’. These workshops were insightful and showed us how similar some of our ideas and practices are across the sectors.

Denise and Ali from Milford Kindergarten presented in collaboration with Michelle from Milford School a workshop called  ‘Our World is in their Hands’.  They shared some of the actions and opportunities that enable and develop student kaitiakitanga (guardianship) of their surroundings and community. In this workshop, they shared some of the ways that they have developed ownership and responsibility in looking after their environment within an ECE and primary school setting, and how they have included and encouraged whānau participation through manaakitanga and whanaungatanga. They also shared how they engaged and empowered whānau in their respective settings and how they have encouraged student empowerment in taking steps forward in their environmental journeys.

I, Jo Watton, presented in collaboration with Emily Andrews and Shona McRae from Westlake Girls High School, a workshop called  ‘Teens to Tots’.

The workshop demonstrated how different ages within the Pupuke Kāhui Ako can learn collaboratively and creatively. We shared how students can engage across sectors from ECE through to high school in a fun and interactive way, showing links between dispositions, Te Whāriki and the NZC.

We shared reflections from parents, students, and ECE children who have been involved in the social studies experiences over the past few years and how it empowered them in their learning journeys.

Opportunities to challenge, empower, learn, and engage with colleagues across sectors and make connections for later collaboration made it an extremely valuable day. We are looking forward to the next Pupuke Kāhui Ako COLAB.