2009 Newsletter No. 2
A new school term can often signal a new beginning. This was evident at the MAWA AGM last week. Despite the disappointingly low attendance, we managed to achieve a quorum thanks to a few proxy voters. Next year we intend to hold the AGM in collaboration with an afternoon of PD workshops in order to hopefully improve the attendance rates. My thanks to outgoing Secondary PD Convenor Anne Paterson for her work in 2008, including yet another successful Secondary Convention, and welcome to Melissa Kuhlmann to the Primary PD Convenor role.
I would like to thank the outgoing committee for their show of faith in me, in asking me to continue in the role of President for an additional year. It is truly an honour to represent our members and our Association and I am very fl attered to have been asked. With old and new faces the 2009/10 MAWA committee looks set to continue the momentum from the fi rst part of the year and carry it through the remainder of 2009. However, our work is not possible without your support. There are still two vacant positions on the committee: those of Secondary PD Convenor and Publications Convenor. If you are interested in contributing to and supporting your Association by taking on one of these roles, please get in touch so I can explain what’s involved and perhaps co-opt you into the role at our next committee meeting.
MAWA is an association of mathematics teachers and our activities cannot continue if we only have a small number of people willing to put in the effort required to make things happen. Our students all perform Community Service these days. Perhaps we can take a leaf out of their books and each set aside 20 hours to help keep MAWA going.
The new senior school mathematics courses are up and running in schools and MAWA is committed to ensuring that the new mathematics courses provide the best education and preparation for their futures for all our students. MAWA’s actions will include providing written resources and PD. Afternoon workshops are back on track in 2009 with topics assisting new or non-mathematics trained teachers at all levels, through to those teaching the new specialist courses. However, MAWA needs you, our members, to let the Committee know what you need in terms of PD, written resources and representation in order for us to be sure we’re meeting your needs. While supporting teachers with these new courses will occupy much of MAWA’s energies the needs of our primary and middle years members will continue to be addressed.
Preparations are well underway for the 2009 AAMT Conference, which we will be hosting. Featuring Primary and Secondary sessions, I strongly recommend you all attend if you are able as the PD is always of a very high quality, and the MAWA organised social activities are always valuable and enjoyable networking experiences. While the early bird registrations have closed, registrations are still open and information can be found through the link on the MAWA website.
There is no shortage at the moment of new things on the horizon for MAWA and mathematics teachers. The start of NAPLAN and the coming publication of school performance information certainly give us new things to think about, and that paired with the development of a National Curriculum will provide further opportunities to refl ect on our practice. MAWA intends to continue to work closely with AAMT on these and other issues as they develop.
Finally, thank you to the members of MAWA for your dedication to your craft and to your students. It is always a privilege to represent such an involved, dedicated membership and it is certainly a challenge to represent the diverse views and opinions. Don’t forget, MAWA is your Association. Do you have any suggestions for future plans for MAWA? Or would you like to have a greater involvement? If so, let us know. Please feel free to drop us a line at the MAWA offi ce or pick up the phone to have a chat.
Michelle
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2009 Newsletter No. 2 (185 kb)
