1-30 Sep	Save our Sight Month www.nzao.co.nz
7-13 Sep	Papua New Guinea Pidgin Language week www.mpia.govt.nz
8 Sep	Deadline to register for the 2026 NZ Chemistry Olympiad Competition
8 Sep	International Literacy day https://en.unesco.org/themes/literacy-all
8 Sep	Total lunar eclipse visible from NZ 3:30 – 7:30 am. Totality 5:30-6:40 More info. PPT
10 Sep	PLD on Mātauranga Māori Science Fair, 3:30 Mt Manganui Coll. More info. Register here.
12 Sep	Deadline to apply for postgrad study award from MoE. Info here.
12 Sep	Deadline to apply for expedition sailing a tall ship to the Antarctica 10 Jan–10 Feb 2026.
15 Sep	Deadline for consultation on proposal to change NCEA.
15-21 Sep	Māori Language week www.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz
16 Sep	International Day to Preserve O3 www.uneptie.org/ozonaction/events/ozoneday
19 Sep	deadline to enter Minecraft competition on sustainable seas. Here.
19 Sep	Deadline for senior girls from rural schools to apply for SheENG Waikato
21 Sep	MOTAT’s LIVE Day (10am-4pm) with a hands-on focus on communications
22 Sep	Partial solar eclipse visible from NZ 5:40 – 8:40 am more info
Moon	FM Sep 8        3Q Sep 14        NM Sep 22        1Q Sep 30

1. Talks that may be relevant for us
   • 3 NCSE webinars celebrating the centenary of the Scopes trial are now available online. US teacher John Scopes was taken to court for teaching evolution, then forbidden.
   • Cafe Scientifique: Chelsea Osterman talks about brain research 22 Sep Tauranga Yacht Club Doors open at 6:30 for a 7pm start, $10. To regsiter email julia.banks60@gmail.com
2. Resources for Māori language week next week (the 50^th anniversary)
   • Some posters of Environmental phrases
   • Stacey Morrison podcasts for MLW
   • A PPT of Whakatauki

Info

1. Pedagogy:
   • Poster – questions to promote metacognition (& others) https://edut.to/42wgyq2
   • A really useful look at the ways students engage and suggestions of ways to meet their needs https://welearnwegrow.medium.com/six-archetypes-of-learner-engagement-5796124d2499
2. Student opportunities:
   • Waikato uni’s Chemquest will be held Oct 15. ChemQuest Letter and ChemQuest Form
   • It’s Earth Science Week in USA Oct 12-18. Some global competitions that your students may be interested in (due by 8pm ET Oct 17, that’s 12pm Oct 18 NZT)
     • Photography (all ages) 
     • Video (all ages, individuals)
3. Teacher Opportunities:
   • Earth Sci Wk webinars will be live on YouTube (theme energy resources). Info & registration here https://www.earthsciweek.org/webinars/
   • Auckland’s Te Whetū Stardome want to acknowledge the hard work that you do every day for our tamariki with a free ticket for you & 1 other. All teachers, teacher aides & student teachers eligible. To book email  info@stardome.org.nz with date, time & show you want to see. Til year’s end
4. The latest NZASE newsletter has articles on Prior knowledge, body measurement and sea-monkeys. Sign up for the newsletter or find resources here https://nzase.org.nz/. Join NZASE here https://nzase.org.nz/membership/ .

Resources

1. Biology:
   • A set of Quizlet literacy activities on human evolution using the BEANZ vocab list [Lisa Brown] https://quizlet.com/nz/1072254765/as91606-human-evolution-vocabulary-flash-cards
   • A talk from Prof Nic Rawlence on Myth-busting de-extinction https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gD3HW9vEEpk
2. Agricultural and Horticultural Science:
   • A Cutlass resource on cuttings for juniors: BB 05 Cuttings
   • Te Ara on irrigation and drainage: https://teara.govt.nz/en/irrigation-and-drainage
3. Earth & Space Science:
   • NASA on lunar and solar eclipses
   • Nick Mortimer’s recent paper reviewing Tectonics, geology and origins of Te Riu-a-Māui / Zealandia https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00288306.2025.2500394#abstract
4.  Chemistry:
   • Compound Chem infographics mapped to chemistry topics
   • How to teach condensation polymerisation https://edu.rsc.org/infographics/how-to-teach-condensation-polymerisation/4021254.article
5. Physics:
   • Free energy resources videos from Stanford https://understand-energy.stanford.edu/
   • Wave literacy activities and Sound Questions
6. Primary & intermediate:
   • A pebble-sorting activity for L1-3 https://www.earthlearningidea.com/PDF/236_Rock_explorer.pdf
   • NOAA’s water cycle resource collection has been refreshed – updated background information, lesson plans, handouts, and data resources to supplement teaching this key concept.
7. Education for Sustainability (EfS)
   • A discussion activity from ELI on sea level rise https://www.earthlearningidea.com/PDF/371_Net_zero_Sea_level_rise.pdf

MoE/NZQA

1. A reminder that the consultation on the proposal to replace NCEA is open until 5pm on 15 September.  If you have not already, you may want to comment before then.

Professional Learning & Development (PLD) Opportunities

1. BEANZ and Science Learning Hub’s PLD on helping students make decisions about scientific issues. 7:30-8:15 Th 11 Sep. Info and register here.
2. Astrobiology day for teachers – hear from NASA scientists and experts. 26 Sep, Air Force Museum, Chch. Info and register here.
3. NZIP are putting on a series of free webinars highlighting some of the best presentations from the NZIP & Physikos conference earlier this year. 7-9pm on 10 & 17 Sep, 8 Oct. NZIP & PHYSIKOS Revisited

Cheers, Mike

Mike’s News is brought to you with the generous support of Warp Computers and NZASE