Newsletter 2024/11

Kia ora koutou

It’s Matariki term; Watch this space as we are planning an exciting evening celebration for all to attend in week 9!

I’d like to start by congratulating and welcoming Samantha Chambers and Sarah Hinder-Boyd to our School Board.  I was delighted to hear of their selection, and I think it is extra special to have two former PBS students stepping into these roles.  I look forward to working with you both. 

Keep reading as today’s newsletter contains information about:

• Kids on roofs (outside of school hours) – we need your help to keep kids safe!
• Changes to our School Zone
• Upcoming dates for your awareness

In the term break I utilised Principals’ Wellbeing and Professional Development funds to attend two overseas conferences; one on Educational Leadership and the second on AI in Education. Both of these conferences were incredibly insightful. I have so much to share with our staff and am excited to do so. 

AI is here, there is no avoiding it. Clearly, we must find ways to utilise these tools in productive ways and apply common-sense with regards to navigating these advances with children.  The conference helped me understand how school staff can use AI tools to address some workload issues and these are the aspects I want to focus on at PBS first and foremost.  AI tools can help teachers streamline planning, customise learning, and pose creative activities to engage students. These are just starting points though as there’s so much more to explore. NB: Student-use of AI tools needs further thought and frameworks, which we as educators will need to develop over time.  

But AI is not just for schools and businesses; AI can be super helpful for us all in everyday life.  Since this conference I find myself asking ChatGPT things first, rather than defaulting to Google. However, we still need to be wary that AI can make mistakes with the knowledge they provide; these are called ‘hallucinations’.  So it pays to double check information, just as we teach children to fact-check and think critically.

Here’s one fun example of AI use in daily life:

I told ChatGPT some items in my fridge and asked it to suggest some things I could make for dinner.

I asked: In my fridge I have broccoli, tomatoes, onions, beef strips, cheese, carrots, relish, capers, a tin of tuna, and tomato paste.  I have staple items in my pantry including flour, sauces, oil, pasta, rice, spices etc.  Give me a list of 5 meals I could make for dinner tonight.

ChatGPT responded:

Sure, here are five dinner ideas based on the ingredients you have:

1. **Beef Stir-Fry with Broccoli and Rice:**
– Use the beef strips and broccoli for a stir-fry.
– Cook rice separately.
– For the sauce, combine soy sauce, oil, and a bit of cornstarch to thicken.
– Optionally, add onions and carrots for extra flavor and texture.

2. **Tomato and Cheese Pasta:**
– Cook pasta according to package instructions.
– Sauté onions and tomatoes in oil until soft.
– Add tomato paste, a bit of water or broth, and spices to make a sauce.
– Mix cooked pasta with the sauce, top with grated cheese.

3. **Tuna and Capers Salad:**
– Mix the canned tuna with capers, chopped onions, and a bit of relish.
– Serve over a bed of lettuce or with a side of toasted bread.
– Drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.

4. **Cheese and Vegetable Quesadillas:**
– Use cheese, onions, tomatoes, and carrots as fillings for quesadillas.
– Sauté the vegetables, then assemble with cheese in tortillas.
– Cook until cheese melts and tortillas are crispy.
– Serve with a side of salsa or guacamole.

5. **Beef and Vegetable Skewers with Rice:**
– Marinate beef strips with oil, spices, and a bit of tomato paste.
– Thread beef strips onto skewers alternating with chunks of onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers if you have them.
– Grill or bake until beef is cooked through.
– Serve over rice with a sprinkle of chopped parsley or cilantro.

These should give you some variety and let you use up those ingredients in creative ways!

I asked: Ok, I want to make the Cheese and Vegetable Quesadillas for 4 people. Give me a detailed list of the ingredients and amounts (in metrics) and the method for making these.

ChatGPT responded:
Sure, here’s the detailed list of ingredients and the method for making Cheese and Vegetable Quesadillas for 4 people:

Ingredients:
– 8 flour tortillas
– 200 grams of cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, or any melting cheese of your choice), grated
– 1 large onion, thinly sliced
– 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
– 2 medium carrots, grated
– Oil for cooking
– Salt and pepper to taste
– Optional: Salsa, guacamole, sour cream for serving

Method:
1. **Prepare the Vegetables:**
– Heat a bit of oil in a pan over medium heat.
– Add the thinly sliced onions and sauté until they turn translucent and slightly caramelized, about 5-7 minutes.
– Remove the onions from the pan and set them aside.
– In the same pan, add a bit more oil if needed and sauté the grated carrots until they soften slightly, about 3-4 minutes.
– Remove the carrots from the pan and set aside.
– Finally, briefly sauté the tomato slices in the pan just until they soften a bit, about 1-2 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.

2. **Assemble the Quesadillas:**
– Place four of the flour tortillas on a flat surface.
– Divide the grated cheese evenly among the four tortillas, spreading it out in a single layer.
– Top the cheese with the sautéed onions, carrots, and tomato slices, distributing them evenly.

3. **Cook the Quesadillas:**
– Heat a non-stick pan or griddle over medium heat.
– Place one of the prepared tortillas with the filling into the pan.
– Place another tortilla on top to cover the filling, creating a quesadilla.
– Cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until the tortillas are golden brown and the cheese has melted.
– Repeat the process with the remaining tortillas and filling.

4. **Serve:**
– Once cooked, transfer the quesadillas to a cutting board and let them cool for a minute.
– Use a sharp knife to cut each quesadilla into wedges.
– Serve hot with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream on the side if desired.

Enjoy your cheesy and veggie-packed quesadillas!

As previously stated AI is here and will only become a more prevalent part of our lives.  So let’s find ways to embrace the positive aspects and capitalise on how it can improve our lives. There will be challenges along the way, but together as a community we will learn to navigate these together. Now, what will you have for dinner tonight?

Ngā mihi nui

Jess Ward
Principal – Tumuaki

PS: If you have a cool example of a way you’ve used AI to improve your day/life that could be useful for our community let me know and I’ll include it in a newsletter.

Upcoming dates for your awareness:

• Thursday, 16 May – Support Staff Day. Join us in showing appreciation for our Teacher Aides, Office Team, Caretaker and cleaning team.
• Friday, 24 May – Pink Shirt Day (more details soon)
• Long weekend: PBS is closed Friday, 31 May (Teacher only day) – Monday, 3 June (King’s birthday). NB: The teacher only day on Friday, 31 May is for Paraparaumu Beach School, Kenakena School, Waikanae School, Kapakapanui School and Paraparaumu College as we are all undertaking professional learning together.

Kids on School Roofs (outside of school hours)

Footage on our security cameras and word from school neighbours indicates that kids/teenagers are climbing up on the school roofs again.  This is happening outside of school hours when no staff are on site. We are very concerned about the possibility of injury or even fatality.

Please speak to your children and teenagers if they are coming onto the school site afterhours about this.  We don’t want to resort to deterrents such as barbed wire on roofs as it’s such an ugly look for a school.  Therefore, in order to keep your children safe, anyone identified climbing on roofs will have their access to school grounds limited.  Thank you for your help and under-standing.