2021 Christmas Message
My goodness…! What a year we have had…
2021 has seen us navigate a second year of life side-effects of Covid-19, with the virus impacting our lives in previously unthinkable ways.
“Changed, utterly changed”, William Butler Yates’ words* refer to the poem Easter of 1916 but they seem appropriate to describe our life today in light of Covid-19 also. And what changes we have seen, particularly in the realm of our communities, our work lives, in early childhood and healthcare, and education and training. Yet at the same time it has been a year filled with Vision, Heart, Competence and Spirit as we have walked through all - together.
As we begin to look ahead to 2022, it is valuable to reflect on the year that has passed, the lives we have had the opportunity to support, and the celebratory moments shared. NZTC has had the honour to graduate 1,898 outstanding students over the course of 2021. Graduates who will now serve our early childhood and healthcare communities as qualified professionals.
A further significant graduate achievement this year was the enrolment of over 500 international students into two of our NZ-needed early childhood undergraduate programs – the Graduate Diploma in Teaching (ECE) and the Bachelor of Teaching (ECE). The ECE sector desperately needs appropriately qualified and registered teachers and NZTC is committed to serving our sector through supporting these students as they work towards their qualification goals. In a time of closed New Zealand borders… international students, in country, have come to us to study towards being outstanding early childhood teachers, educators and carers of children, and our ECE community is all the better for their love for children and study success.
Our NZTC Heart shone earlier this year with the gifting of Alphabet Magnets to early childhood centres across the country. Uniquely created for NZTC, the Alphabet Magnets feature bright and colourful images designed to spark curiosity, and encourage a love of learning of the alphabet alongside everyday images and words in children’s worlds. We have had such lovely feedback from many in the sector, appreciating a gift through the challenges of this last year and sharing the value of the magnets in everyday centre life.
Earlier in the year we published a He Kupu edition focused on ‘Growth through Resilience’. The issue explores resilience with a particular focus on the impact of Covid-19 restrictions over the past year. Apparent in these narratives is the vision and capacity of individuals and organisations to overcome challenges that, at times, may seem insurmountable, more often than not discovering new opportunities in their wake. This truly is our shared learning over the past two years seen in so many diverse ways.
In July, we celebrated NZTC’s educational performance. NZTC excelled with students achieving well above sector averages for the college’s early childhood education and health and wellbeing programs.
Outstanding graduates... are the two words that come to mind!
As the end of 2021 draws nearer, Tuesday 21 December will be our NZTC team’s last day before we begin a Christmas break to enjoy time with treasured family, friends and loved ones.
We will be back on Monday 10 January 2022, refreshed and reinvigorated and ready to partner with our sectors to do all we can to provide outstanding graduates for our communities in need, while also celebrating the very special milestone of our 40th anniversary. Lots more on that to come in the New Year.
For now, we close out our 2021 year…
Selena Fox
Chief Executive
*Easter 1916 by William Butler Yates