2020 Christmas Message
2020 is coming to a close... our 38th NZTC year has been incredible in so many ways. Some of us are adjusting to and even coming to appreciate the changes we are living. Some are breathing a little sigh of relief the year is coming to an end. Others of us are zoomed-out and weary and know they need a break to recharge and refresh. And many of us are a mixture of all. Whatever we are feeling, as uncertain and bewildering as it was at times, my reflections on 2020 move quickly to the many innovations, opportunities and virtual-but-meaningful collaborations we have learnt from, for our days ahead.
Challenging times are not only hard, they are also the times we learn the most, stretch ourselves, gain fresh perspectives, prioritise better, build new strengths and remind ourselves of the importance of relationships in our lives. While our world continues to be rocked by COVID-19 and the realities of a global pandemic on human lives, our NZTC year will go down in our history books for different Vision, living Heart, extraordinary Competence and boundless Spirit as we worked together to recreate new look work lives and learnt that we really can empower students to care, educate and serve meaningfully and effectively from the safety of our own homes.
When unknowns tried to overwhelm us we went home, put health and safety first and then immediately connected back together virtually to create new ways forward to care, educate and serve our students. When COVID-19 threatened to pause our students progressing in their study goals, our quality assurance and professional bodies worked alongside us to create history enabling new ways forward. When a national lockdown threatened our early childhood and healthcare communities, they rose to the challenges, lived their dedication, passion and kindness, while learning new strategies to continue serving our most vulnerable communities.
In looking back 2020 has been a year like no other for NZTC, both busy and rewarding as we celebrated 1543 graduates achieving life successes. Strengths of the year must start with acknowledging our long-held teaching and learning online foundations that became a rock of stability for all in the shakiest of times. Highlights grew out of this as we visioned new initiatives into reality creating even greater access and reach for our students, Associate Teachers, communities and NZTC team members. Further highlights included:
• Gifting ‘The Living World’ resource to our 2020 ECE graduates as they guide children in exploring the outdoors and all the gifts to be found there.
• Supporting our early childhood and health and wellbeing communities in need, as we reached out to both sectors with study scholarships.
• Sharing our NZTC heart with our early childhood community delivering Music and Movement Ribbons to encourage children to dance, move and have fun, in deep appreciation for the important work that they do.
• Holding true to NZTC traditions in new ways such as celebrating our Values Month in August with team members receiving Vision, Heart, Competence and Spirit reminders to open week by week in the safety of their own homes.
As I approach my 23rd year at NZTC in 2021, I continue to wake each day inspired by the sectors we serve and the NZTC team I am grateful to call my friends and colleagues. With all the changes we have worked through this year what is abundantly clear is that our team of dedicated, caring and passionate individuals never changes. Our mission, our values, our operations, our curriculums, our teams… were created and developed for such a time as 2020… and it is indeed the strength of these that continues to enable new opportunities for the students and sectors we were founded to support.
As the year comes to a close, Tuesday 22 December will be our NZTC team’s last day for 2020, before we begin our Christmas break to relax and recharge for 2021. We will be back on 6 January 2021, ready for our 39th year of empowering students to care, educate and serve meaningfully and effectively.
We look forward to another busy year ahead with our values leading us as guiding lights into 2021. Whatever is ahead we can know for sure… after 2020… we are walking into 2021 with…
Future Vision… as we look ahead with dedication to the best outcomes for those whose lives we touch,
Living Heart… we hold our relationships close – supporting our students, staff and the communities we serve,
Extraordinary Competence… as we continue to strive higher for our students, and
Boundless Spirit… we remember the wider gifts of our team and our commitment together to our NZTC purpose each day.
Wishing you a COVID-19-community-transmission-free Merry Christmas and a refreshing, recharging season spent with treasured family, friends and loved ones.
“Christmas, my child, is love in action.
Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas.”
- Dale Evans Rogers
Selena Fox
Chief Executive