On Friday, 5 September, a contingent from WGHS attended the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools Symposium, hosted at Rangi Ruru Girls’ School in Christchurch. This inspiring event brought together educators from across Aotearoa and beyond to share research, practice, and innovation in girls’ education.
We are especially proud of three of our staff who were selected to present workshops at the conference:
- Ms Lizzi McCormack shared findings from her action research into three evidence-based strategies that are successfully lifting numeracy confidence in her Year 9 maths class.
- Ms Susana Tomaz presented on AI literacy, exploring how both staff and students are developing the skills to foster agency, critical evaluation, and responsible use of AI. She highlighted how engaging the wider school community helps to build trust and a shared understanding of the purpose and value of a whole-school approach to AI integration.
- Ms Teresa Winstone led an interactive workshop on the role of teachers as career influencers. Drawing on Dr Candy Ho’s research and Edgar Schein’s helping model, she explored how everyday teaching practice can embed meaningful career conversations. She then equipped participants with practical strategies to support students in their career development.
The symposium also featured powerful keynote sessions from internationally recognised speakers. Dr Denise Quinlan spoke on whole-school wellbeing and EROs.
Ruth Shinoda (Deputy Chief Executive – Head of the Education Evaluation Centre) delivered a compelling, data-driven presentation highlighting the higher-than-average achievement and attendance rates at girls’ schools in New Zealand.
The conference was a valuable opportunity for our staff to contribute to and learn from the global conversation on girls’ education. We are proud of their leadership and commitment to shaping future-focused learning for our students.
Photo above L-R: Teresa Winstone, Ms Lizzi McCormack, Susana Tomaz