Rural Teaching Principals Conference 2025

This popular conference is tailor-made by principals for rural and teaching principals with a mix of inspirational keynotes, practical workshops, networking and hauora opportunities. It’s a great way to use any remaining Professional Coaching and Wellbeing Funding.

This year’s theme: He awa whiria refers to the braided rivers of the Canterbury Plains and is a metaphor for integrating knowledge streams. 

• Don’t miss out! Register here.

Transport: If you are staying in the CBD, we have organised for buses to bring you to and from the conference venue, Chateau on the Park. Collection and drop off point will be the Novotel, Cathedral Square (52 Cathedral Square, CBD). Please note, the bus will not be making any other stops during the journey.

If you plan on walking through Hagley Park, allow 35 - 40 minutes. The bus schedule for Wednesday 28, Thursday 29 & Friday 30 May is as follows:

Car Rental: Thanks to HealthCarePlus, all NZEI Te Riu Roa and PPTA members can save up to 65%! To take advantage of the Budget ‘Better off Together’ discount, please book your rental via this link https://healthcareplus.org.nz/budget-car-rental-nz

Tuesday 27 May: PRE – CONFERENCE:

Early Registration: Will be available Tuesday 27 May between 4:00pm – 6:30pm at the Conference venue.

Mix & Mingle: Once you have registered, join the Organising Committee for a drink and nibbles.

Koha: Please bring cash and pop it in the koha box at the registration desk no later than Wednesday, 8:15am. All koha collected will be gifted to tangata whenua during the mihi whakatau.

RTPC Programme: is attached to this email. This year’s conference will be held at Chateau on the Park for the full duration of Conference except for dinner on Thursday night.

Conference Keynotes: For a full list of our Keynote Presenters, please refer to this document RTPC25 Keynotes

Sponsorship Drinks: Will be in the marquee located in the courtyard (outside the Sponsors room) on Wednesday afternoon. You’ll receive your drink token on your way to the marquee. The bar accepts cash & eftpos.

Conference Dinner: Will be held Thursday 29 May at The Tannery. If you selected ‘Yes’ to attend Conference dinner during your online registration and NO LONGER wish to attend, please let us know by replying to this email and we will remove you from the confirmed dinner list. If you selected ‘TBC’, please confirm your attendance asap, as we have not added you to the confirmed dinner list.

For easy identification, please bring your lanyard with you to enter. You do not need to wear it during dinner, we just need to sight it before you head in.  We will enjoy a complementary drink, before moving through to the Atrium for dinner. There will be a cash bar during dinner.

Workshops: You can now register for workshops online using the link below. Please review RTPC25 Workshops, then select your workshops via the link. The AI workshops will require your laptop and mobile phone. Some workshops will run twice. All workshops will take place on Thursday 29 May. If you have changed your mind on a workshop you registered for, please DO NOT re-register again. Email events@nzei.org.nz with the workshop you wish to cancel and the workshop you would like to attend and If it is still available, we will add you to that workshop on your behalf.

Register for your workshop here: https://rtpc-2025-workshops.lilregie.com/

Flights and Accommodation: You are responsible for arranging your travel to and from Christchurch and accommodation. Accommodation details, discount codes and booking instructions can be found on our RTPC webpage https://www.nzeiteriuroa.org.nz/rural-teaching-principals-conference-2025

Cancellation: If you need to cancel your RTPC 2025 registration, please send your cancellation request to events@nzei.org.nz If payment has been made and you are owed a refund, you will need to include proof of payment (a screenshot of the payment will be sufficient) and the nominated bank account details. Please note: cancellations will be completed immediately, and refunds will be actioned post RTPC conference (in June).

Please refer to the following table for refund:

Dr Lucy Hone
A renowned global expert on resilience, the Director of the New Zealand Institute of Wellbeing & Resilience, and blogger for Psychology Today, Lucy offers a one-of-kind perspective - sharpened through academia but also deeply personally applied in response to a devastating tragedy. Her focus on helping people and organisations create practical resilience strategies is a call to action in light of many feeling resilience fatigues.

Nic Low
NZ-born, Melbourne & Christchurch-based, Ngāi Tahu-descended award-winning writer, artist and co-director of WORD Christchurch.

• Novotel Christchurch Cathedral Square, 52 Cathedal Square & IBIS, 107 Hereford Street: 15% discount off website rate.
  Valid between 27 - 6 June 2025
  
  Offer is valid up to 14 days prior to arrival. Rates are subject to availability.
  
  Book here.
  
  All reservations must be guaranteed with a credit card valid at the date of the start of your stay, unless otherwise specified.
  
  No cancellation charge applies until 30 days, 18:00 (local time) before arrival. Between 30 days & 14 days, hotel will charge the first night. Thereafter, amount due not refundable.
  
  
• Fable, 166 Gloucester Street15% discount off their website
  rate.
  Valid between 27 May - 6 June 2025
  Booking code: RTPC25
  Cancellation policy is 30 days.

Gold Sponsors:

• SchoolDocs is the online policy and procedure service trusted by more than 75% of all NZ schools. www.schooldocs.co.nz
• Te Rito Maioha are leaders in primary and early childhood education – growing kaiako, leaders, knowledge and bicultural teaching practice so tamariki learn and thrive. Te Rito Maioha is rated as a Category 1 provider by NZQA and scored ‘Highly Confident’ in Educational Performance and Capability in Self-Assessment. This means you can have absolute confidence in all our programmes. Te Rito Maioha offers two primary qualifications which lead to teacher registration: • Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) • Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Primary). www.ecnz.ac.nz
• Schooled. Here for your next level financial services and educational support. www.schooled.nz
  
  

Silver Sponsors:

• EATucation is an innovative well-being focused Social Enterprise dedicated to delivering life changing, evidence-based food & environment education to students of all ages. Food literacy is about understanding food’s impact on people and how food connects to each aspect of our daily lives. It is a lens for understanding how food can improve our personal, planetary, and community well-being. EATucation is a movement that empowers tamariki to be the seeds of change in their community by providing the skills for success at each step of the way. Find out more on EATucation.co.nz
• HealthCarePlus. Your union owned Membership Benefits Programme established by NZEI Te Riu Roa to support their member's financial, physical, and mental, health & wellbeing www.healthcareplus.org.nz
• Educated Furniture is designed and built to stand the test of time and can be customised to cater to all age groups, including early childhood centres, primary and secondary schools and tertiary institutes. The educational furniture in our range is not limited to the classroom either. We can supply a huge range of library furniture, excellent seating and office solutions for administration and waiting areas, staffroom furniture, custom cabinetry for kitchens and technology blocks and a huge range of storage systems to suit any space. educatedfurniture.co.nz

Custom Sponsors:

• Carus are New Zealand’s specialists in painting and aftercare for schools and educational facilities, nationwide. We understand that educational environments differ significantly from other commercial or industrial spaces. The daily activity of hundreds, if not thousands, of students, staff, and visitors means that durability, safety, and minimal disruption must be prioritised. At Carus, our services are tailored to meet these specialised needs.
• Learning Network NZ is a not-for-profit trust committed to supporting New Zealand educators with professional learning that inspires.

Through a comprehensive range of courses, conferences, events, resources and tailored PD options, we connect Kiwi teachers with some of the best expertise available in the world today. We’re passionate about the industry we serve, and over time we’ve forged lasting relationships with experts from within New Zealand and around the globe. These connections have allowed us to give teachers, schools and c communities nationwide access to some of the most innovative and up-to-date thinking, research and educational knowledge that’s currently out there.

Paddy McNaughton’s
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Christchurch Tram
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