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New Zealand Centre for Gifted Education's Blog

What's the Story? 

Making the world a better place for gifted kids, one yarn at a time.

  

Winds of Change Bring Seeds of Hope

New beginnings for the New Zealand Centre for Gifted Education






Spring is upon us! Senses tingle as we revel in the delights of this time of year; lambs bouncing around, blossoms adorning trees and the scent of jonquils drifting in the warmer breezes (because one can wish for warmth!). It is while being wooed by the season that we can see all around us just how it is that variety is such a wonderful thing (after all, imagine a garden with only one kind of flower!) and we can appreciate change as something good.... (*she says whispering quietly...Are your alarm bells ringing somewhere off in the distance hearing that? Did she just say "change is good"...I'm not sure I like where this is going!) Well, fear not. Before you go getting too worried, let me tell you a story. It goes a little something like this...

Once upon a time, there were two teams. They were both awesome and amazing and fabulous and...well you get the picture...and no, they weren't the AB's or Silver Ferns...sorry to disappoint. Rather these two teams were professionals of another sort. They worked tirelessly to support an under-served group of learners who often struggle to fit in and learn at school, a very admirable charge indeed (even if not as popular as that of winning the Bledisloe Cup...but back to the story). The problem was that these groups were struggling to make ends meet and something needed to change if they were to be able to continue their good work. As it was, it felt that they were stuck in the grey of winter with little hope ahead, and just like the 'dormant' trees which quietly slog away unnoticed, the fruits of the teams' labour were not obvious to many, hence they struggled to garner the support needed to keep going strong.

But...(don't worry, like any good story there has to be a happy ending), a group of visionaries among the teams could see that Spring was inevitable. They could sense the winds of change and knew that soon the life force of the garden would soon be clear to all. Seizing Spring by the hands; they shared their vision and lead the two teams together in designing a garden of plenty, sowing seeds, and dancing in the spring rain. Together, as they talked, planned, shared and merged (and talked, planned and shared some more, and t...well you get the picture) they watched as the once dreary skies rolled away to reveal an expanse of blue, and began to see the seemingly lifeless garden burst into life once more. These two groups are what is now, the New Zealand Centre for Gifted Education. United as one, they hold tight to that vision for a brighter future for all gifted learners and they hold on to that feeling of Spring.

 

 

Ka mate te kāinga tahi, ka ora te kāinga rua

When one house dies, a second lives


In fact, so much so, that their logo has a Spring story all of it's own. But I think we have had enough stories for one day, so here it is in brief. The centrepiece of the logo is a seed which represents the mind and world of the gifted child and the ambitions of the NZCGE (yes, that would be the New Zealand Centre for Gifted Education, but that's a bit of a mouthful, so let's just leave it at NZCGE). The opening of the seed represents the change and growth young gifted learners achieve through the support and encouragement offered by the Centre, while the vertical vivid lines of colour represent diversity, and the limitless potential of a child's mind when given the room to grow. How cool is that? It's true that a picture tells a thousand words (just as well or this would be super long and you wouldn't be here reading it still!)

 

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way - John Maxwell


This is an apt description of CEO Deborah Walker who played a pivotal role in leading the merger, and I have to say it, does a stunning job of leading NZCGE's truly inspirational team. Am I biased, well...maybe a little...but I do have to say this in my defense before you get all judgy-judgy on me. (You wouldn't do that though aye?) I had the privilege of meeting the whole team in person at a recent staff gathering in Wellington, and I have to say that I was truly blown away by the incredible celebration of strengths and successes, the sharing of ideas and practice, and the excitement that was engendered amongst the team. It was clear to see that this enthusiasm, passion, focus and skill spills over and out into the classrooms as an infectious energy which fuels gifted minds and nourishes their wellbeing. What with this and the specialist curriculum in place, these kids not only have the chance to explore, learn and consider the world in different ways than they do in their regular classrooms, but they have the chance to do this with other like-minded peers whose fire is lit by these experiences as much as theirs is.  How do I know this for a fact you might ask? Well let's just say, that's another story for another day.

In case you are starting to wonder...I am not angling to sell you anything (although donations  are always welcomed!). Really in fact, I wanted to introduce you to the New Zealand Centre for Gifted Education, and this, our new regular blog feature. Through this we will share stories of giftedness and gifted education, and maybe even a bit about what we are up to. We would like to invite you to follow along, and if you feel inclined, to share your stories too.

With that, I would like to say nau mai, haere mai (welcome) to 'What's the Story', and ka kite anō au i a koe (see you next time) dear reader.

 

'What's the Story?' is a new blog section which is being written for the New Zealand Centre for Gifted Education, with posts being added regularly. The purpose of this space is to share musings and anecdotes relating to giftedness and gifted education to provide a form of information and support for those living with and/or teaching gifted learners. Please do share them along.

 

We would love to hear from you.  Grab a virtual cuppa and share your story in the comments.

What's the Story? Making the world a better place for gifted kids, one yarn at a time.

 

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Please note that the views expressed in these blogs are those of the author and not necessarily representative of the views of the New Zealand Centre for Gifted Education.

 Image credit: Seeds by Danel Solabarrieta is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. The image has been modified with the addition of the avatar.

Winds of Change Brings Seeds of Hope

 
 
 
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