Presidents’ report, 2022

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Waitaha English at St Andrew’s College, 2022

James and I are delighted to offer our first Presidents’ report for the 2022 AGM. 

Over the last year, there have been a number of changes. Firstly CETA has rebranded as Waitaha English, a move that signals a shift in the way we see ourselves and acknowledges our treaty partners. 

We thank Caroline Black who oversaw this change in 2021 as chair, and who stepped down from the committee earlier this year. 

The committee now looks radically different from our last AGM. Our executive team are James Jenkinson and Laura Borrowdale as co-chairs, Anna Taylor as secretary and Kendra Burgess-Naude as Treasurer. We also have Jenichka Cann, Gina Coatsworth and Chris Waugh as committee members.

We are excited to be able to begin offering events again this year as Covid restrictions have eased. This enables us to do our core business- to build community between our members and to hold events that speak to the needs of our group.

We recognize that there is significant change ahead for teachers in all areas, and that subject associations have a place in delivering our voice to the Ministry and enabling the sharing and co-construction of resources.

We have begun planning the next event- the August 22 Accord Day. Laura is working with the Ministry to supply a venue and potentially catering, as well as securing Nigel Mitchell and the Burnside pilot teachers to speak. A Regionally Allocated PLD application is underway to support Waitaha English to deliver this to a professional standard. We hope to enable digital access to this event.

Later in the year, we will hold the Big Day Out, the association’s key stone event. A good deal of planning had already been done for this last year, although we were not able to go ahead. Our hope is that that will not be wasted and we can make use of this this year. We look forward to inspiring English teachers in the region as we have in the past. This event is also crucial in developing teacher confidence in presenting to our peers- an essential way for us to grow teacher capability and the dissemination of ideas.

We hope to revive groups that have gone into hibernation over Covid such as First Four Years and HODs, or to reform these in new ways to respond to our community.

Lastly, we are forging ahead with our student writing competitions. The Steve Langley flash fiction competition ends at the end of Term 2, and we look forward to reading what our young people are producing.

We hope to show our region the value that we can offer to them, and to grow membership through authentic and supportive events. 

Laura Borrowdale and James Jenkinson

Co-chairs

Waitaha English