The Briefing | Issue No. 17
- 6 hours ago
- 9 min read
Rātapu 21 o Pipiri 2026
Kia ora koutou
This week we're continuing to list more Matariki-themed activities and ideas in the Resources section so that there is a range of them for your last week of term. For whānau, we've also been collating a list of school holiday activities - you'll find them in the Rangatahi Opportunities section.
As a reminder, Cafe Scientifique Tauranga is on tomorrow night (Monday 22nd) at the Tauranga Yacht Club, and next week (on Monday 29th) Dr. Simon Taylor is presenting a free guest lecture - The Secret Life of Stars - at the Tauranga campus.
STEAM-ED also has a great opportunity for at least 14 primary/intermediate schools in their local area to access their Wetlands and Coastal Erosion programme for free. Get in touch with them to find out more.
Kia kaha for all that you do,
Lian Soh
GENERAL NEWS
The Secret Life of Stars Dr. Simon Taylor (University of Waikato) is presenting a free public lecture - The Secret Life of Stars - at the Tauranga campus on Monday 29 June.
Matariki Stargazing Event Tauriko School is hosting a Matariki stargazing event with a virtual viewing of Matariki with members from the Tauranga Astronomical Society. Details here (via Facebook).
Tātai Whetū Massey University Course Intakes for Semester Two (starts Monday 13 July) are now open for Massey University's fully online Tātai Whetū - Māori and Indigenous Astronomy course!
NASA Citizen Science! Shock Detectives is a new citizen science project by NASA where participants examine real data to identify regions of peaceful or chaotic plasma activity. See video below and go to the project website here.
Tauranga Moana Biosecurity Capital x2 Events! Tauranga Moana Biosecurity capital are hosting an upcoming event on the future of regional biosecurity (July 19) as well as their annual excellence symposium (August 13).
Astronomy on Tap Tauranga Looking for a night that combines mind expanding science with a cold, crisp pint? Look no further. Astronomy on Tap Tauranga is here; featuring two short presentations on astrobiology and astrophysics, an interactive Q&A and a cosmic quiz.
EVENT FORECAST
Our full calendar is available here. More than half of our readers are from beyond the Bay of Plenty. Let us know how we can help promote your event. June 22
[Tauranga] Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Restoration (Café Scientifique)
June 23
[Bay of Plenty] Info Evening Bay of Plenty (University of Canterbury)
June 24
[Online] Efficacious and engaged: Insights into students, teachers and principals Latest research from Aotearoa NZ (Curriculum Insights and Progress Study)
June 25
[Tauranga] Green Drinks (Sustainability Options)
[Christchurch / Online] Two Nations, One Orbit: How Australia and New Zealand are making their mark in the global space sector (Humanitix)
June 26
[Online] Urban aerobiomes and your microbiome (People Cities Nature)
June 27
[Tauranga] Metal Tape Mushroom Journaling with Ninette Kruger (Turning Point Trust)
[Goat Island Marine Discovery Centre] Nature Nerds Network: Marine Conservation Workshop (Faculty of Science, University of Auckland)
[Omanawa] Mushroom Discovery Walk for Children (4-7 years) - McLaren Falls Park (EcoSci Events)
June 28
[Tauranga] Mini Pottery Workshop: Mushroom Characters (The Pottery Studio Tauranga)
June 29
[Tauranga] Tauranga Public Lecture - The Secret Life of Stars (University of Waikato - Tauranga)
June 30
[Bay of Plenty] Info Evening Bay of Plenty (University of Canterbury)
[Hamilton] Professorial Lecture by Professor Emma Nicholson; 'The sky's the limit for volcanology' (University of Waikato)
[Invercargill] Info Evening Southland (University of Canterbury)
July 1
[Worldwide] Plastic Free July
[Tauranga] Open Day Tauranga (University of Waikato)
July 2
[Tauranga] Te Hui Marama a Matariki: Tauranga Waldorf School Matariki Light Festival (Matariki Te Tauranga o Ngā Waka)
July 3
[Tauranga] Matariki Star Trail (Matariki Te Tauranga o Ngā Waka)
[Tauranga] Opening: Ngā Hihi o Matariki – An exhibition of works by Tauira o Te Wānanga o Aotearoa Toi Paematua Toi Ataata (Matariki Te Tauranga o Ngā Waka)
July 4
[Aotearoa] The Bubble Spectatcular July NZ School Holiday Tour (The Bubble Spectatcular)
[Tauranga] Mini Tukutuku Panels (Matariki Te Tauranga o Ngā Waka)
[Tauranga] Raranga Whetū (Matariki Te Tauranga o Ngā Waka)
[Tauranga] Taonga Pūoro (Matariki Te Tauranga o Ngā Waka)
[Tauranga] Foraged Finds Fungi Crafting with Darrinee (Turning Point Trust)
July 5
[Auckland] Weaving Anti-Racist Futures (CARE / Massey University)
CONFERENCE WATCHLIST (CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER)
Science Communicators of Aotearoa NZ Conference (Jun 24-26); early bird registrations extended until May 7th!
ASERA 2026 (Australasian Science Education Research Association) takes place in Brisbane (30 June - 3 July).
NZ International Science Festival (15-19 July)
New Zealand Association of Environmental Education Conference (5 - 7 October Tāmaki Makaurau).
NZ Plant Conservation Network conference (Oct 12-15)
Chem-Ed Biolive by SCENZ and BEANZ (Nov 18-20)
RESOURCES & EXPERIENCES
The following have been added to our Experiences page and Resources directory. Our Resources directory only saves items which are free and which do not require a login.
STEMCoding If you enjoy tinkering with sensors or using data, then the STEMCoding website by Ohio State and Mount Union has a range of activities that draw from computer science and data science.
Natural Hazards Portal for Bay of Plenty The Natural Hazards portal now has maps for the Bay of Plenty of region showing active faults, earthquake shaking, liquefacton, tsunami, volcanic and geothermal risks. Other regions will be completed over time.
STEAM-ED Charitable Trust We've added STEAM-ED Charitable Trust to our experiences directory. STEAM-ED have regularly featured in our newsletters and are known for their in-school, afterschool and holiday programmes. See their listing here and find out how they can support your learning programmes.
The Fishing Game A game showing how fish stocks could be managed sustainably (PDF instructions).
Physics Posters (and more) Perimeter Institute has a range of downloadable posters for the classroom, as well as a collection of resources.
Another catalogue of experiments ScienceNewsExplores has a collection of various experiments for a variety of ages.
Paper model satellites!
Cut and paste activity. Make paper models of various satellites; c.a 8 downloadable PDF templates. This website is no longer being updated, so save the templates to your team drive.
Activity Book: Discover Your Changing World With NOAA Ten Activities to Introduce You to the Essential Principles of Climate Science (downloadable PDF activities).
NASA's Climate Kids
A website with readings and videos for the little ones. There's also a game 'Cubesat Builder' with gameplay mechanics very similar to the title Overcooked.
Matariki resources: We'll continue to repeat this section in our next newsletter. If you have any ideas, send them through!
Matariki Craft Ideas for the little ones.
Tāhūrangi has an Year 11 activity on stars and symmetry.
Te Papa has a downloadable activity book.
Te Wananga o Aotearoa has downloadable handbooks, posters, and printable activities.
AUT has a Matariki art resource pack; each poster has a QR code that can be scanned for information about the star cluster.
Christchurch City Libraries has a range of crafting activities with downloadable instructions.
How to weave a harakeke whetū (star) from Manaaki Whenua Youtube.
This page from Te Ara describes how to make a manu taratahi. See also: How to make a Manu Tukutuku from Ruapehu REAP.
RANGATAHI OPPORTUNITIES
Free Wetlands and Coastal Erosion Programme Thanks to funding from Tauranga City Council's Climate Action Fund, Steam-Ed Charitable Trust is able to offer their Wetlands and Coastal Erosion programme free of charge to at least 14 primary/intermediate schools. Please get in touch with the team at Steam-Ed; contact details on their website.
NZ Engineering Science Competition Returns! The NZ Engineering Science Competition by the University of Auckland takes place on 8 August 2026, with registrations closing on 31st of July. Suitable for Year 12/13 students; details within for younger students.
$2500 USD Student Fellowship The True Blue Fellowship connects and empowers youth around the world. Through seed funding, peer support, and capacity building, the Fellowship provides mentorship, capacity-building programming, and up to USD $2,500 in funding for 12 youth leading creative arts-based projects that address ocean, waterways, and/or climate change issues in their local communities.
A collated list of school holiday programmes:
[Nationwide] Warehouse Stationery has FREE creative workshops.
[Nationwide] The Bubble Spectacular, starring Dr. Hubble, is touring various town centres in the July school holidays. Tickets here.
[Tauranga] STEAM-ED has released its next round of school holiday programmes, running from July 6 to July 17.
[Tauranga] Tinkd Makerspace has short 30 minute tours these school holidays.
[Tauranga] Bricks 4 Kids LEGO® STEAM Holiday Programmes are running these school holidays from July 6-17 at Golden Sands School and Greerton Marist Rugby Club.
[Aongatete] Enivro Kids Holiday Programmes by the Aongatete Outdoor Education Centre & Lodge are on again this July. Details here.
Reminders; these opportunities are still open!
NIWA Science and Technology Fairs are happening in various regions from August 24 to September 05. It's also probably not too late to register for Te Tūkohu Ngāwha Mātauranga Māori Science and Design Fair.
[Nationwide] ANZCCART's secondary student essay competition is now open. Students who are sitting NCEA Level 1 to 3 exploring biological ideas in a socio-scientific issue could be very well well placed to enter. Entries close August 14 2026.
KAIAKO OPPORTUNITIES
Astronomy Educator at Te Whatu Stardome Te Whatu Stardome are looking for an Astronomy Educator to join their team. Details are on EdGazette.
Closing Soon: National Excellence in Teaching Awards Nominations for the National Excellence in Teaching Awards closes next week, on Tuesday 30th June.
Win a $100 Prezzy Card! The Wonder Project are developing new STEM programmes for Year 9 and Year 10 students and would love your input. All completed surveys go into a draw to win a $100 Prezzy Card!
The Margaret M Blackwell Travell Fellowship The Margaret M Blackwell Travel Fellowship is for people working in early childhood education. The Fellowship is awarded annually to the value of $20,000 and is intended to enable the recipient to travel overseas to gain further experience and subsequently to disseminate that information for the benefit of early childhood education in New Zealand.
Reminders:
Primary and intermediate kaiako from across Aotearoa can now apply for the BLAKE Inspire for Teachers 2026 programme, a week-long environmental education programme funded by the Ministry of Education.
[Nationwide] Information for The Maurice Wilkins Centre (MWC) 2026 Teacher Professional Development Days.
[Nationwide] The New Zealand Institute of Chemistry (NZIC) has officially opened its 2026 prize round, including an educators award. Closes July 31 2026.
EDUCATION ASSOCIATION UPDATES
This month's updates are available here.
New changes for the week are below.
AEC
[Reminder] UpliftED is no longer running this year. Instead, regional pre-election roadshows will take place. More details to follow.
NZASE
NZASE has informed its members that they are preparing an open letter to the Minister of Education.
NZAEE
Reminder to register to Tātaiao, the NZAEE National Conference on 5-7 October.
SCIENCE CURRICULUM
Phase 1-4 Release Date Expected release date of the finalised curriculum for Yr 0 - 10 is at the end of Term 3 / early Term 4 (based on latest information from the recent Curriculum Roadshow).
Tranche 2 Subjects Released Subjects include: Drama, Music, Music Technology, Visual Arts, Te Ao Haka, Toi Ataata, Te Ao Whakairo, Toi Puoro, Toi Rēhina, Physical Education, Ngāā Akoranga Koiri, Te Waiora, Resistant Materials Technology, Textiles, Food Processing Technology, Spatial & Product Design, Digital Technologies, Electronics & Mechatronics, Computer Science, Digital Media, and Te Reo Māori. Consultation is open until 8 July 2026.
Tranche 3 Subjects The third group of subjects will be open for feedback from 6 to 31 July.
NCEA & ASSESSMENT
Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Results Students who sat the Reading standard as part of the Literacy and Numeracy assessments in May will be able to access their results via their learner login from Tuesday 23 June. Results for the Writing, Numeracy, Te Reo Matatini - Reo Torohū and te Pāngarau standards will be available from 20 July.
Reminders:
The Government has confirmed details of the new qualification that will replace NCEA from 2028. The Beehive Press Release, email to principals, and Tāhurangi announcement have been collated here.
PIVOTAL PERSPECTIVES
Readings and talks which may be relevant to us; commentaries and research relevant to science education and curriculum reform.
Creating Dialogic Spaces in STEM Education (NZARE)
How do we create STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) learning environments where people feel genuinely able to share ideas, question thinking, and build knowledge together? Read more.
Why the structure of a 'knowledge rich' curriculum matters (AEC NZ)
It would be unreasonable to expect individual teachers to keep up with all the knowledge advances in all the discipline areas they need to teach, but I do think we could expect that curriculum developers who claim subject expertise should be able to envision and build new structures that at least show awareness of the huge shifts happening in the sciences, and of the impact of Ai on how we generate and structure knowledge. Read more.
BAY SCIENCE UPDATES (NEW SECTION)
We're envisioning a cluster for the second half of Term 3 (or early Term 4) depending on when the final version of the Phase 1-4 science curriculum is available. At this cluster, we hope to include community organisations and local scientists so that they can work together with teachers and schools to produce units of learning that are grounded in the local context of the Bay of Plenty. Let us know your thoughts.
The Briefing is Bay Science’s weekly email newsletter for anyone interested in the latest developments in science education. Subscribe below to receive each edition.
Bay Science is a science teacher association with national reach. Our website serves as a noticeboard for science education news and events across Aotearoa New Zealand, connecting educators and community members across the country. If your organisation has a kaupapa, event, or opportunity to share with the science education community, we’d love to share it. |
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