Description

In this episode, we continue talking about crisis management, including extreme weather events and events that can’t be foreseen, like the Christchurch mosque attack.

My guests are:

• Rowan Milburn, principal at Te Puna Wai o Waipapa - Hagley College
• Nori Parata, tumuaki at Tolaga Bay Area School and Kahukuranui
• Kevin Bush, regional leadership advisor, Ministry of Education

This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.

You can learn more about this topic by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz

Show notes

Episode themes:

• Dealing with extreme weather events and the impact they have on a kura and its community
• Thinking outside the box when it comes to working out ways for kids to learn when they can’t get to school
• Trying to anticipate and plan for likely scenarios
• Importance of collaboration and reciprocation with community leaders, iwi leaders, agencies before an event so you have those contacts to call on in times of crisis
• How Hagley High School, which is close to the Al Noor Mosque, responded during and after the attack on the mosque
  • Roles and responsibilities of the school crisis management team and how they worked in practise
  • School as a civil defence centre
• The process of recovery from collective trauma of events eg. releasing Muslim staff to be with their community, being aware of triggers (eg lockdown alarm) for students and staff, talking openly about what happened and allowing people to have a voice, doing things that bring people comfort or joy.

Additional information

Emergencies and traumatic incidents https://www.education.govt.nz/school/health-safety-and-wellbeing/emergencies-and-traumatic-incidents/

Responding after a crisis https://www.education.govt.nz/school/health-safety-and-wellbeing/emergencies-and-traumatic-incidents/responding-after-a-crisis/

Preparing for emergencies, traumatic incidents, evacuations and lockdowns https://www.education.govt.nz/school/health-safety-and-wellbeing/emergencies-and-traumatic-incidents/preparing-for-emergencies-and-traumatic-incidents/ (links to emergency management plan templates and emergency planning guide)

Nine-step checklist https://assets.education.govt.nz/public/Documents/School/Traumatic-incidents-and-emergencies/Traumatic-Incidents-Checklist-2018.pdf

Questions

00:57 [Nori] Can you tell me about the weather events that have affected Tolaga Bay in recent years?

1:20 [Nori] How do those weather events affect the kura? 

2:17 [Nori] How do you plan for these events, knowing as you do now that they’re becoming more and more frequent? 

8:13 [Rowan] Nori was talking about things that you can anticipate there. But one thing no one really saw coming was the Christchurch mosque attacks. Can you tell me how that unfolded for you?

17:44 [Rowan]

So the collective trauma from events like that, how do you as a leader help your ākonga and staff through these things?

25:46 [All] Did any of you want to add anything else?