Queenstown Times: Why did you want to become a board member and how long have you been in the role?
Mary Lou Grant: I was appointed principal in 2001 and became the link between the board and the school. By liaising with the board, we are able to maintain a school which allows all children access to the education as stated in our charter.
I enjoy the opportunity to work with the board to decide the direction of the learning and teaching for Glenorchy children.
QT: What is the biggest issue facing Glenorchy School pupils and what do you want done to tackle it?
MLG: There are many issues facing our school including staffing, distance, funding, e-learning and the challenges of a changing curriculum.
The biggest issue for the children is distance. We rely heavily on the generosity of parents to transport us to school functions. With more and more parents in the workforce, it creates pressures for the rest. To travel anywhere incurs a huge time cost for both the parents and then children. A trip to Queenstown for a one-hour function will mean more than three hours of time lost at school.
QT: Will National Standards improve a pupil's education at the school?
MLG: One advantage of a small school is to be able to meet the needs of all the children through dedicated teachers following the planning-teaching-reflecting cycle.
The standards, in their current form, narrow the focus to three main learning areas and unfairly labels vulnerable children as failures. The implementation of the standards in a school where the staffing is 2.5 drains the time and resources needed to support pupil achievement.
QT: How would you describe the school's financial situation and what needs to be done to improve it?
MLG: Finances in a small school are always tight. The financial situation is monitored monthly with regular reports detailing an analysis of our income and expenditure to ensure that we remain within our yearly budget. We rely heavily on our PTFA to provide funds for those things that can't be achieved through the operation grant.
QT: What are the advantages and disadvantages of Glenorchy School's distance from Queenstown?
MLG: The biggest disadvantage would be the distance we are required to travel to all sporting and cultural events for the children and to professional development courses for the staff.
Every time we leave the school we rely on the parents to give up their time and use their cars to transport us. We would not be able to provide the opportunities we do, without the support of all our parents. Because of our isolation parents, staff and children rely on each other to provide the best opportunities we can. This creates an atmosphere of trust and a shared vision.
QT: How are pupils prepared for high school and are there more ways to familiarise them?
MLG: The year 7/8 children at Glenorchy School are given many opportunities to prepare them for high school. Their curriculum learning is assessed regularly to ensure that programmes are put in place which will make sure they are at the correct level for entry to high school.
There is a special technology programme, the Dare programme, the Tracks to Success programme which aid in developing independence and time management skills. There are ample opportunities foreducation outside the classroom, in order to develop personal and co-operative skills.
QT: How can the community help Glenorchy School?
MLG: The community has always supported the school 100% in whatever venture we are involved. They give freely of their time, resources and money.
