Flying In and Out of Gisborne

Sitting on a plane flying back into Gisborne after a full on family weekend and I suddenly realise it is quite possibly the last time I will ever fly into Gisborne airport.

When I leave for good in two weeks time I will be driving.

I've seen more of airports and aeroplanes than I ever realised I would when I made the choice to come to Te Karaka five and a half years ago. There have been months where I've flown in and out of Gisborne three or four times in quick succession.

A combination of holidays and being on various committees has seen me both value and dread flying. I certainly no longer see it as something romantic. It can be exhausting, and when you fly into Wellington on one of the small planes it can be scary. 

But I do have to acknowledge the service from Air NZ. They try really hard to run to schedule and when they cant they keep you very informed of what’s happening. They tell you when it will be smooth and when it will be bumpy. They are always friendly and helpful.

       

The service they provide to the regions is really important. Without the ease and convenience of air travel even less people would visit or ultimately live in more remote parts of the country like Gisborne, and that would be a shame.

I have to also give a shout out to the great check in staff at Gisborne airport. They somehow manage to be extremely professional but have a strongly personal touch at the same time. They've become  very familiar faces over the last couple of years. I've seen them deal with a range of situations, and always keep their cool and do what they can to help everyone travelling.

There is much I will miss in two weeks. People and places mostly. And I will miss the flying. The superb Gisborne air NZ staff and the Gisborne airport I've spent so much time in.

I probably wont miss flying in those small planes to be perfectly honest, but in saying that I have admiration and respect for the men and women flying them.

Thanks Air NZ for the great service over the last five years.

My TKAS Journey is Soon to End

Nearly five and a half years ago, I won a position as Principal of the newly established Te Karaka Area School, 32 km NorthWest of Gisborne. I began at the end of August 2010, and the school opened in February 2011. We are now nearing the end of our fifth year in operation. Many of our learners are vulnerable learners who have not been well served by education systems of the past. Hopefully they are now being better served.

These five years have been amazing. We have all learnt so much. We have learnt that innovation is not only as possible in a lower decile school as it is in a higher decile school, but that it is vital. We have learnt that buildings don't make innovative practice happen- its teachers and students and a trusting BOT that do that. We have learnt that schools can operate in order to be personally responsive to the needs of every individual learner- that the don't need to be a machine focused around restrictive structures like timetables and traditions who’s time is way past. We have learnt that learning can look way different than it has in the past and still be learning.

Ive seen both students and staff grow in so many ways and take some giant leaps of faith that is now represented in their daily practice.

And me, personally- what do I get out of the last five years? I have learnt what it truly is to live in a bicultural world. My life has been immensely and forever enriched by the students, staff and whānau I have worked with; by developing an understanding of their culture and beginning to understand their language.

What I have gained at Te Karaka has been incredibly more enriching than the normal trajectory of going onto be a Principal of a bigger school, like many people expected.

I now understand a corner of Aotearoa I didn't know existed five years ago and I appreciate so much more about the history of this beautiful country and its inhabitants- especially our indigenous cultures and people.

So it was with some sadness last week that I announced to our BOT, staff, students and community that I am leaving at the end of this year.

I feel privileged to have been offered and accepted a position as a Director of Learning at Haeata (formerly known as Aranui Community Campus) in Christchurch. 

http://www.aranuicommunitycampus.school.nz

I am truly excited by this position and the opportunities and challenges it will bring. I am looking forward to the move and the possibilities.

But for now I will spend the remaining four weeks of school soaking up everything I can in Te Karaka.

Thank you to Andy and the eBOT at Haeata for having faith in me and giving me the opportunity to join your exciting venture as the next stage of my educational journey.

and

Thank you TKAS whanau- there will be proper goodbyes said later, but thank you for everything.