Blog
The obstacle is the way
Hey guys I hope you’re coping okay with everything that’s going on. I just wanted to share some words of encouragement. During the summer I read a book called The…
Sumo Inspiration
My family went to Tokyo, Japan in the holidays. Everyone was excited to go see Tokyo Disneyland and Takeshita Street shopping, and the Shibuya Crossing. My only request was that…
Say something good about me
What could we say to those who built a foundation for us while we still can? Rocky ‘Soul Man’ Johnson, father of Dwayne Johnson, passed away suddenly last week. “Say…
History helps our kids navigate the world
The New Zealand government announced earlier this year that it will soon be compulsory to teach New Zealand history in our schools. Every child in Germany learns about the Holocaust…
A Tongan hero of yesterday, and young heroes of today!
It’s Tongan Language Week and I want to share with you a little about one of Tonga’s favourite heroes – Queen Salote. And how there are young people around us…
Faith and family – the Roman Reigns story
This week sees the NZ release of the new Fast & Furious film, Hobbs & Shaw, starring Dwayne Johnson and his cousin, Roman Reigns. I’d like to share an amazing…
Mental Wealth – The White Mouse Pt 3
It’s mental health month in Aotearoa and I’m thinking about mental strength as I read the children’s book, “The White Mouse”, with my daughter. It’s the story of Kiwi nurse,…
My Mental Health – The White Mouse Pt2
It’s mental health month in Aotearoa and I’m thinking about mental strength as I read the children’s book, “The White Mouse”, with my daughter. It’s the story of Kiwi nurse,…
The White Mouse – Mental Health Month
May is Mental Health Month in New Zealand and such an awesome theme to focus on. I’ve just started reading a book called “The White Mouse” with my daughter. It’s…
Wish I was gifted
We’re nearly halfway through term one of the school year and it’s a good time to remind the young people we live and work with, and ourselves, that being successful…
Great people come from here
My youngest daughter enrolled in Auckland Libraries’ summer reading program back in early December. We started off well, reading every day for 20 minutes as a whole family 🙂 But…
The Reading Tribe
Hey guys sorry about that last post – I thought I found a snazzy way to share a link but it came out all wrong! Anyway, happy new year to…
Words are powerful – even the words of the young
Do you guys sometimes get Impostor Syndrome? That’s that feeling you get when you start doubting yourself, about whether you can really do something and you’re just waiting for someone…
Goosebumps, Pasifika storytellers, MMT and marae-style dolls
Hey guys today I want to talk about something important we can learn from Goosebumps, Lani Wendt Young and the Tongan rugby league team. I went with my family to…
Catch my drift
Some people think the only place you’ll see women at a racetrack is dressed in bikinis, waving start flags and spraying champagne on the winners. You won’t find Jodie Donovan…
Cook Islands Heroes: Ru and Tua Pittman
It’s Cook Islands Language Week and we’re celebrating by sharing a little about some of the inspirational people featured in my book Cook Islands Heroes. The aim of this book is to…
Pukapuka Heroes: Florence “Johnny” Frisbie and Jordan Rapana
It’s Cook Islands Language Week and we’re celebrating by sharing a little about some of the inspirational people featured in my book Cook Islands Heroes. The aim of this book is to…
Margaret Matenga: Silver Fern/Black Pearl
It’s Cook Islands Language Week and we’re celebrating by sharing a little about some of the inspirational Cook Islanders featured in my book Cook Islands Heroes. The aim of this book is…
Cook Islands Heroes: Michael Metuakore
It’s Cook Islands Language Week and we’re celebrating by sharing a little about some of the inspirational Cook Islanders featured in my book Cook Islands Heroes. The aim of this book…
Cook Islander for Life!
It’s Kuki Airani (Cook Island) Language Week and to celebrate I’m going to share some stories with you from my book Cook Islands Heroes. To start our week, have you…
Be you, no matter what
In the NBA there are a few megastar players like LeBron James, Steph Curry, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. The kinds of players that every team wants and will do…
When one door is closed …
Hey everyone, we’re well into 2018 and I wonder how we are all doing with the goals and dreams we have for this year. I read, saw and heard lots…
Rugby League History: Mate Ma’a Tonga
“When I play for New Zealand I play for my country of birth. But when I play for Tonga, I play for my heritage and my family.” (Tongan captain, Sika Manu.) …
Rugby League History: Fiji Bati
Everyone knows how great Fiji are at rugby union, especially the sevens game. But Fiji have also made their mark in the world of rugby league. Players like Josefa Levula…
Rugby League History Day 5: The artwork
The Kiwis have designed a new jersey for this year’s Rugby League World Cup. The jersey reflects the team’s cultural heritage and has cultural patterns on the back and sleeves…
Rugby League History Day 4: The Kiwi Ferns
The Women’s Rugby League World Cup is also on this year. It takes place in Sydney, Australia from 16th November to 2nd December. Here’s a little info about the history…
Rugby League History Day 3: How the Kiwis got their name
The New Zealand rugby league team have been known by many names over the years: the Professional All Blacks and the All Golds were early names. Almost from the start,…
Rugby League History Day 2: Albert Baskerville – the father of Kiwi rugby league
Albert Baskerville was a young post office worker, living in Wellington with his mother and seven siblings in the early 1900s. His father had been killed in a work accident…
The people’s game
The Rugby League World Cup is coming! To celebrate, I’m going to share some of the amazing and inspiring history of rugby league with you. Day 1: The people’s game…
Inspiring thoughts from Joy Cowley
Today at the Storylines Hui, legendary children’s writer, Joy Cowley, told an inspiring story about The Silent One, her first novel. It was rejected by every publisher she sent it to, so…
Make mistakes, learn, go again
This is really cool from Parramatta rugby league player, Suaia Matagi. He visits youth in prisons and encourages them. He tells them that life is similar to a game of…
Cook Islands Heroes: The Untold Story
Last week was so awesome celebrating Cook Islands Language Week with the launch of Cook Islands Heroes at Tupu Youth Library. Something happened at the launch that taught me so…
Cook Islands Heroes: Margaret Matenga
Kia orana everyone! It’s Kuki Airani Language Week and I’ve got a new book to help celebrate. Cook Islands Heroes is a collection of achievers who have Cook Islands ancestry…
Cook Islands Heroes: Dr Sam Manuela
Kia orana everyone! It’s Kuki Airani Language Week and I’ve got a new book to help celebrate. Cook Islands Heroes is a collection of achievers who have Cook Islands ancestry…
Cook Islands Heroes: P Diggs
Kia orana everyone! It’s Kuki Airani Language Week and I’ve got a new book to help celebrate. Cook Islands Heroes is a collection of achievers who have Cook Islands ancestry…
Cook Islands Heroes: Ina and Tinirau
Kia orana everyone! Next week is Kuki Airani Language Week and I’ve got a new book to help celebrate. Cook Islands Heroes is a collection of achievers who have Cook…
Cook Islands Heroes: Miria George
Kia orana everyone! Next week is Kuki Airani Language Week and I’ve got a new book to help celebrate. Cook Islands Heroes is a collection of achievers who have Cook…
Cook Islands Heroes: Reyon Kay
Kia orana everyone! Kuki Airani Language Week is coming August 1st and I’ve got a new book to help celebrate the week. It’s a collection of achievers who have Cook…
Cook Islands Heroes: Florence “Johnny” Frisbee
Kia orana everyone! Kuki Airani Language Week is coming August 1st and I’ve got a new book to help celebrate the week. It’s a collection of achievers who have Cook…
Cook Islands Heroes: Tua Pittman
Kia orana everyone! Kuki Airani Language Week is coming August 1st and I’ve got a new book to help celebrate the week. It’s a collection of achievers who have Cook…
Cook Islands Heroes: Michael Metuakore
Kia orana everyone! Kuki Airani Language Week is coming August 1st and I’ve got a new book to help celebrate the week. It’s a collection of achievers who have Cook…
Cook Islands Heroes: Ngaru
Kia orana everyone! Kuki Airani Language Week is coming August 1st and I’ve got a new book to help celebrate the week. It’s a collection of achievers who have Cook…
Cook Islands Heroes: Jordan Rapana
This week’s Cook Islands hero is rugby league player, Jordan Rapana. Jordan plays for the Canberra Raiders in the NRL, the toughest rugby league competition in the world. He also…
Cook Island Heroes, Alistair Campbell and ANZAC
You were like a butterfly in a storm In that foul war that destroyed you. I dream Of you sometimes, the same improbable Dream – that you’re alive and not…
test
test
Discipline, Discouragement or Disturbing?
An American dad made news this week when he held up this sign at an NBA basketball game: Thomas was looking forward to watching his favourite player Lebron James, live…
Teach with Shaun Johnson
Hey guys lots of schools like to do a “Who Am I?” theme during term one. Here’s a couple of newspaper articles about New Zealand Warriors rugby league player Shaun…
Teach with rugby league
The 2017 NRL season is about to begin and I want to encourage all who work with young people to consider what a rich resource of material we can get…
Small minds, smaller hearts, smaller deeds
Thirty five train stations in France have installed vending machines which print short stories. The stories are free for people to read while they wait for their trains. Over 5,000…
Proud to be Aotearoan
There are a lot of things that make me really proud to be a Kiwi. One of them was seeing what the New Zealand Maori rugby team did at the…
Toa Niue: Sir Robert Rex
This week is Niue Language Week. Why is Niue Language Week celebrated around this time every year? It’s because it coincides with one of the most important events in Niue’s…
I think I just got Joseph Parker’s dad in trouble
Hey everyone here’s an article about Joseph Parker and his family that I wrote for e-Tangata magazine. It’s about a time I think I got Joseph’s dad in trouble ……
Enriching Aotearoa with the Tongan Spirit
Hey everyone, it’s Tongan Language Week this week and I’m launching my new book, Tongan Heroes. In the lead up to the launch I’m going to post short pieces and clips…
Dalvanius, the Fijian Sevens team and the hit song made on a marae
This week I went to see Poi E: The Story of our Song … what an inspiring film! I learned an amazing lesson about self belief from this film ……
The Shine and the Struggle
If you watched the Olympic Opening Ceremony, you would have seen the memorable entrance of the Tongan team led by their coconut-oil glistening flag bearer, Pita Taufatofua. Pita missed qualifying for the…
Olympic Islands
The Olympics start this week and it’s also Cook Islands language week. In honour of both events, here’s a history of the Cook Islands in the Olympics, taken from my…
Book Review: Tangaroa’s Gift, by Mere Whaanga
Ive always loved this book. Beautiful writing and illustrations and a moving story for kids. Its awesome to see a new edition published 🙂
Steppin’ with Benji Marshall
This week Benji Marshall will play his 250th NRL game! What an amazing achievement. And how fitting it is that the game will be played against the Wests Tigers, the…
What did we just see?! The White Guitar
I recently took a class of Year 12 Drama students to see The Conch theatre company’s new show called The White Guitar. Wow! Speechless! One of those plays that after…
Be a star in your role
Tristan Thompson is a member of the NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers. His stats in Game 7 read: 31 minutes played 3 shot attempts 2 blocked shots 3 rebounds They’re not…
No Back Down
Of all the things said about Muhammad Ali after his passing last week, my favourite were the thoughts of radio commentator Bomani Jones. Bomani said the thing that stood out…
Happy Aotearoa Pacific New Year
I’m so glad we have a public holiday to celebrate the Queen’s birthday on June 7th. I wish we also had a holiday to celebrate Matariki which started today (June 6th) . According…
Joseph Parker’s burger addiction, Inky the Octopus and the challenge of being brave
It’s Samoan Language Week and the theme for 2016 is, “E felelei manu ae ma’au i o latou ofaga – Birds migrate to environments where they survive and thrive.” It’s…
They hear how you say it
It’s Playoff time in the NBA and our own Kiwi Tongan basketballer Steven Adams has become one of the most talked about players in America. Steven is as well known…
The Ōtāhuhu Writers in Schools Project
Last year, five Ōtāhuhu primary/intermediate schools, Reading Together (a Ministry of Education supported reading initiative), the Ōtāhuhu Community Library, the National Library and the New Zealand Book Council’s Writers in Schools programme joined forces to deliver the Ōtāhuhu…
“Get to the next play”
When Miesha Tate defeated Holly Holm to become the women’s UFC Bantamweight World Champion last week, she demonstrated the kind of resiliency we need to teach young people. It was…
Out of the comfort zone
I took my year 11 Drama class to see a show in town last week. We were sitting in Q Theatre waiting for the show to start, looking at the…
Help people + Your talent = Purpose
Sad news today that former Warriors league player Kevin Locke is battling depression. Kevin spoke about how losing his father and the pressures of his sport and negative comments on…
The All Stars Are Coming
It’s All-Star weekend in the NBA, a time when the best players come together for events that celebrate the game of basketball. This year’s celebrations are taking place in Toronto,…
Dabbing, the Gully Creepa and connected students
Culture was on display in the just finished season of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. It will also be on display in our classrooms this year. Carolina quarterback Cam Newton has been criticised…
Pay it forward
Watching the film Pay It Forward with family tonight got us thinking about what an awesome concept it’s based on. A teacher sets an interesting project for his students: “Think of…
Live out of your imagination
Swedish design company IKEA runs a Soft Toys For Education campaign. They make soft toys and donate some of the profits to Unicef’s education projects. Last year IKEA invited children all over…
Reading novels taught President Obama how to live
It’s been interesting reading some of the headlines coming out of Australia and New Zealand in the lead up to the Rugby World Cup final this week. One of the…
The Pumas, TAI and High Expectations
I love this photo of Argentina’s rugby coach comforting one of his players after today’s World Cup semi final loss to Australia. I love it because it shows me they…
To really know our students
The resilience of the young people we work with amazes, inspires and sometimes … embarrasses me. My upbringing was like this: I had parents who supported my education. I never…