KPMG Hui

Our MIT 2020 group met today at KPMG and had time to discuss our reflections from the Wananga presentations. We also reflected on what we would have, could have and should have done if we had prior knowlegde about COVID taking effect this year. We learnt how to make a screen recording on our Google slideshows and then add this to our own record of learning and professional development. I feel inspired to continue the ENGAGE program in 2021 and encourage my junior teaching colleagues to participate with their own classes as I can now see the value and importnace that it holds.

PELP/ PLD workshop#3

I attended the final PELP workshop with other teaching professionals and we discussed the success of our whanau meetings at schools and early childhood centres which brought about an awareness of the dual language texts and how Pasifika languages are being acknowledged through MoE by bringing about a school to home connection in literacy and heart languages. I really enjoyed learning new hands on practical ways to include these resources in the classroom and introducing dual language texts in the classroom. I also learnt about lexical chunking and how to identify before and after vocabuary in a grid format. Here is an example of my playdough creations which represent heart language, a seed planted and a frangipani flower to recognise the significance of this flower in the Pacific islands.

Introducing PELP to our school community

I have been attending a PD workshop on the new PELP initiative developed by Dr Rae Si'ilata and her team to introduce dual language texts in 5 different Pasifika languages. These are Samoan, Tongan, Cook Island Maori, Nieuan and Tokelaun. They have stories that have meaningful connections for children from these different cultural and sometimes mixed heritages. PES hosted a whanau hui (Fono) which was warmly received by our parent community. Those who attended gave positive feedback about being informed about this new literacy and language focus.