Latest news with #Parata
Cision Canada
2 days ago
- Business
- Cision Canada
Richards Packaging Income Fund announces 2025 Second Quarter Results
TORONTO, /CNW/ - Richards Packaging Income Fund (TSX: (the "Fund") announced today results for the quarter ended June 30, 2025. "The second quarter of 2025 saw the management team at Richards continuing to drive the long-term priorities of our 2030 Vision, despite a significant disruption in buying due to US tariff policies. Food & Beverage packaging revenues were challenged in Q2, with Canadian strength offset by US weakness. The launch of our ecommerce channel toward the end of summer and an updated pricing strategy that launched in late June position us well for the second half of 2025. Our Cosmetic business experienced a similar tariff headwind in May but strong April and June results more than offset this impact for a strong positive quarter. The absence of supply disruptions that challenged Q2 2024 also helped drive relative performance. The ecommerce channel for this group launched in late July and we look forward to monitoring its performance closely. Organically, Healthcare saw a decline in consumables, offset by strength medspa capital, particularly lower-price-point items. This was primarily driven by a one-off sale of syringes in 2024 and Parata consumables. The negative comps from the Parata loss will conclude in Q3. Our Healthcare business welcomed DermapenWorld into the family at the beginning of June. This acquisition includes an upfront investment of $55M CAD, with a second payment contingent on performance through 2026, and is the major driver of our change in leverage ratio to 1.1x. This addition represents a strong step forward in our aesthetics OEM strategy and will allow us to more rapidly expand global distribution of the Luvo and WorldPRP brands. The closing of this deal represents the fourth significant M&A transaction in 12 months and presents us with significant integration and organic operating needs. Management is now turning its focus to integration for the remainder of the year. In sum, our business units are performing well despite macroeconomic hiccups and with important channel launches on the horizon and significant recent acquisitions, we are well positioned for a strong second-half of 2025" commented John Glynn, Director and Trustee. Details of the Fund's results are currently available on Richards Packaging's website at and on SEDAR+ at The Fund owns Richards Packaging Inc. ("Richards Packaging") which since 1912 has served a wide customer base throughout North America comprised of over 18,000 regional food, beverage, cosmetics, healthcare, and other enterprises. SOURCE Richards Packaging Inc.
Newsroom
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsroom
From modern to modular: the revolving door of open-plan classrooms
Analysis: Last week, headlines hailed the end of modern learning environments, following a press release from the education minister saying the Government 'calls time on open-plan classrooms'. While the Government might want parents – and schools – to believe this is the end of open-plan classrooms, that's not quite what's happening. It might have been more accurate to say the Government is sending a strong signal to schools that when they eventually build new classrooms or undertake upgrades to their existing school property, the Government would prefer they opt for one of their kitset, modular spaces now being offered by the ministry rather than completely open-plan classrooms. But without a law change, or at least a change to regulation, the Government is unable to direct schools – and communities – on exactly how their classrooms should be configured. And the education minister says she hopes it won't get to that point. The announcement comes off the back of a long-running discussion about the merits – or lack thereof – of innovative learning environments, which are also known as modern learning environments or open-plan classrooms. While Education Minister Erica Stanford has made comments about these so-called 'barnyard classrooms' since early in the parliamentary term, the move to try and phase out open-plan classrooms comes as the Government also announces a new crown entity to manage school property, off the back of major cost blowouts, poorly maintained classrooms, and a lack of transparency. Innovative learning environments – or what Stanford is calling open-plan classrooms – have been around since the 1980s, but more recently experienced widespread uptake under former National Party education minister Hekia Parata. Parata made a push for the classrooms that were more open, allowing for more flexibility regarding student-teacher ratios for schools under staffing pressure, more seamless use of digital devices, student-led learning, and collaborative teaching methods. In the wake of the Canterbury earthquakes, rebuilt schools were being fitted with these modern learning environments and Parata vowed to revamp every primary and secondary school – all 38,000 classrooms at the time – to the new modern learning environment standards by 2021. New Zealand wasn't the first to adopt these environments, with Australia and (of course) the Finnish also doing away with single-cell classrooms where the teacher stands in front of the rows of desks and students are expected to absorb knowledge. But it didn't take long for parents and teachers to revolt against the push for open-plan. In some cases, the dislike appeared to be that which always comes with change – especially in education. But over time parents, teachers, experts and officials raised issues with the noise in the classrooms. Parents of children on the autism spectrum or with neurodivergence were particularly concerned. Not all spaces were initially fitted with the right materials for acoustic cushioning and furniture that helped diffuse the higher noise levels that sometimes comes from the style of teaching and learning, where several conversations or lessons can be taking place at the same time. Meanwhile, some teachers had these new classrooms foisted on them without the appropriate professional development and training. They did not know how best to operate in the space, the modern pedagogy that aligned with collaborative teaching and learning, and general best practice. According to the secondary schools union PPTA – modern learning environment sceptics: a flexible learning environment is not an innovative learning environment. 'For a space to be innovative, the pedagogy needs to be innovative. Without innovative teaching practice, it is only an 'open plan' environment.' Under this Government and the last Labour-led Government, there has been a push to pull back from these types of classrooms. Some schools have taken it upon themselves to re-introduce walls, or at least sliding doors, to close up the space. And some have gone as far as to label classroom design as a notable contributor to New Zealand's educational achievement woes, citing noise, distraction, students feeling overwhelmed, and general behaviour issues. Just last week, Pāpāmoa College in the Bay of Plenty sent out a note announcing the school – built in 2011 – would be re-configuring all its open-plan spaces into single-cell classrooms. 'Our board considers this current layout as a significant barrier to educational achievement at Pāpāmoa College,' the online notice said. 'The school completed its own due diligence over the past few years and, amongst other things, trialled relocating senior students from the open plan spaces into our temporary relocatable classrooms. This initiative has resulted in positive achievement outcomes for the students and the school.' But it does not appear to be that simple. The research is unsettled, if not contradictory. The PPTA has long been calling for more research in this area, raising concerns that without evidence to support the rollout out of modern learning environments students were essentially being used as guinea pigs. (Primary teachers union NZEI Te Riu Roa doesn't have a position on the classrooms.) A similar message has come from libertarian think tank the NZ Initiative, which has written a report and pushed the message that there is no evidence to support the roll-out of these classrooms, and therefore they are bad. Following public discussion, political discourse, and the continued lurch from single-cell to open-plan and back again, the Ministry of Education did finally commission some research. In 2017, the study carried out at the University of Melbourne found 'open plan learning spaces lead to higher teacher mind frames and student deep learning'. Overall, the results were ambivalent. This report also called for further research. A 2019 study of English-medium primary schools from the NZ Council of Educational Research produced some similar findings, with teachers saying they enjoyed teaching in collaborative, open-plan environments. 'Sixty-two percent of those who taught in an innovative learning environment enjoyed teaching in such an environment, and 55 percent thought their teaching had changed for the better,' the survey report said. However, most of the teachers surveyed said some students found the spaces and way of learning overwhelming. Two years later NZCER carried out another study on secondary schools, which found secondary teachers also believed some of their students were overwhelmed and that teachers had not received the necessary professional learning and development required to teach effectively in these spaces. Meanwhile, New South Wales started to do away with the classrooms and a Senate inquiry also questioned their efficacy, saying many of the classrooms were designed by architects without proper knowledge of education or consultation with educators. One local example of this was at Grey Lynn School in Auckland, which was fitted with open-plan, collaborative learning environments, designed by architects. While there was some consultation with the board and previous principal, the school found it needed to retrospectively create a transition strategy, which helped staff understand the links between pedagogy, space and design. While much of the blame for the wholesale move to open-plan has been dumped at the feet of Hekia Parata, a former government source told Newsroom there were reasons to move in that direction at the time. Some schools were under staffing pressure and this design allowed for flexibility. It also coincided with a time when schools were increasing students' tech literacy and many were moving towards one-to-one device use. Moreover, it was being used in countries that were at the forefront of educational success. The source admitted it wasn't going to be the right fit for every learner or every teacher, but doing away with innovative learning environments without the research to prove they were detrimental was a short-sighted move. The anti-collaborative space debate was already bubbling away under the previous Labour government, and property was a feature of the 2018 Tomorrow's Schools review. The independent taskforce recommended removing school property decisions from boards, for a variety of reasons, including a lack of capacity and expertise when it came to design and project management. Ultimately, it was decided the Ministry of Education would provide advice on the feasibility and cost of taking on more property related responsibilities from boards over the next five to 10 years, while ensuring schools and communities continued to have significant input into the design of their physical spaces. Former education minister and Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has also been known to refer to the open-plan approach using the pejorative 'barnyard' description, but he says schools and communities should retain choice in the matter. When asked about the Government's so-called scrapping of open-plan classrooms last week he managed to synthesise the through-line from much of the inconclusive research: 'It comes down to the quality of teaching,' he said. 'It will all come down to whether you know that's actually being properly supported by professional practice. The quality of teaching is what makes the single biggest difference in schools, not the size of the classroom.' Questions about whether teachers have received the appropriate training and professional development to make the most of open-plan, collaborative spaces to enhance their practice and lift student outcomes have been canvassed by the research. But there's been little discussion about those barriers to lifting the quality of teaching, which has nothing to do with open-plan classrooms. This Government has identified the need for improvement in initial teacher education, ongoing professional development, non-contact time for planning classes, and support for students with additional needs. If these issues are addressed, it is more likely teachers will have the necessary expertise and capacity to make the most of innovative learning environments. Crucially, the research also fails to make a causal link between innovative learning environments and poor student achievement. While there is undoubtedly a lack of research to prove these environments are better for children, there is also nothing to prove they are worse. It is easy for school leaders, parents and politicians to point towards a simple, tangible thing as the reason for falling achievement. Especially when it's something that can be physically altered and sold as a fix. What educational research is clear on is that the single biggest factor affecting educational achievement in the classroom is the quality of teaching. But beyond that, societal factors, including a household's economic circumstances and structural racism in the education system are have the biggest influence on student outcomes. So, while the Government might like parents to think they're going to secure their children's future by doing away with open-plan classrooms, it's not that simple. And perhaps more to the point: they can't. While some schools – like Pāpāmoa College – are taking it upon themselves to upgrade or reconfigure classrooms back to single cells, under the current law the Government can't compel them to ditch open-plan. The Education and Training Act (clause 161) lays out what the Secretary of Education can specify, including minimum health and safety standards. Beyond that – without a change to regulations or this part of the law – the secretary (or the minister) can't direct a school what to do. This is why Hipkins has referred to last week's announcement about open-plan classrooms as 'virtue signalling'. But what the minister will be hoping is that it sends a strong signal to schools and communities that when they do come to do maintenance or upgrades on classrooms that they will think about whether to add in sliding doors that allow for partitioning and single-cell learning. Meanwhile, the raft of schools currently on the list to get additional classrooms to deal with roll growth will be offered the kitset, modular classroom design that are no bells and whistles, and can be used primarily for teaching in a single-cell configuration, with the ability to open into a wider space for certain activities, like assemblies, physical education, art or music classes. Essentially, she's looking for a phase-out. But if a school says they want to remain open-plan, or have new classrooms built in this collaborative style, they retain the power to do so. Stanford says she hopes they won't go that route. 'Overwhelming feedback I've received from schools across New Zealand is open-plan classrooms aren't meeting the needs of students. 'While open-plan designs were originally intended to foster collaboration, they have often created challenges for schools, particularly around noise and managing student behaviour,' she says. 'In many cases, open-plan classrooms reduce flexibility, rather than enhance it. We have listened to the sector and new classrooms will no longer be open plan.' The open-plan announcement came the same week Stanford unveiled a $120 million growth plan for Auckland schools that need to build more classrooms to account for new students in their area. This came alongside an announcement that a new crown entity, led by former National Party minister Murray McCully, will be set up to manage school property. When this Government took power it discovered a list of unfunded school property projects, big builds where the prices had blown out, and a general lack of transparency and mismanagement. Stanford set up a ministerial advisory group and commissioned an inquiry. At the time, an architecturally designed classroom was costing as much as $1.2 million, meaning some schools were missing out on new buildings because the funds weren't there. By focussing on kitset and modular designs, finding efficiencies of scale, and removing duplication, the cost of a classroom is now down to $620,000, Stanford says, adding that she thinks it can drop further still. Next in her sights is improving the maintenance programme for classrooms, meaning they'll last longer overall. One of the key priorities of this school property overhaul – and the new agency – is to increase transparency and accountability.
NZ Herald
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Maama Ghee: How I went from crime and prison to a new life and the boxing ring
She now trains at the gym four days a week for two hours a session - and is about to compete in a boxing charity match for a cause dear to her heart, under her boxing name Maama Ghee. She did it for her three kids - aged 15, 13 and 3. 'I'm so proud of myself' she said. The big event These days, Maama Ghee gets around 7.6 million views a month on her Facebook Page, and 2.6 million likes per month on her Tik Tok. She posts material about her workouts, and her life. 'I want to set an example for those who lack confidence and find it hard to step out of their comfort zones,' she said. Kimi Parata working out at the gym as she prepares for her corporate boxing match. Parata (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Paoa) has dropped 40kg and bulked up for a corporate fight night in Pakuranga on August 30 in an effort to raise suicide awareness. She will fight Memz at the Ben Lamond Centre, someone she has never boxed against before. 'All I know is Memz follows me on Facebook,' Parata said. Social media influencer CWK Nix is her cousin and will be in her corner on fight night, she said. Parata hopes to raise awareness of suicide. 'I lost an ex-partner to suicide, and also family members, so it's close to my heart. Kimi Putere Parata is preparing to fight Memz, who she has never boxed against before, in an August match. 'The last I heard from [my ex] was when she was released from prison in 2023 and she passed away that same year. I used emotions I felt and put it into fitness, and I know she is proud of me.' The organiser of her upcoming fight is one of Parata's 70,000 Facebook followers, Junior Pati AKA Pitbull - a former champion boxer who runs promotional companies Pitbull Showdown and King of the South. A tough start in life Parata told the Herald she's motivated by her dysfunctional upbringing, which included abuse, loss, boarding schools and state care. 'When I was nine, I was hanging with street kids in the hood stealing and drinking, smoking weed,' she said. 'I was taken off my mother at ten, my father died when I was 11. 'I was in and out of juvenile prisons, Kingslea and Rolleston in Christchurch and I went through sexual abuse and rape throughout my life as a child. Kimi Putere Parata. 'I was the youngest on the streets as a prostitute on Manchester St when I was 12ish.' Between 2015 and 2021 Parata served prison time for aggravated robbery, kidnapping and causing grievous bodily harm, she said. She told the Herald she hasn't offended since 2021. Parata sees herself as a role model 'My goal is to just step in the ring and fight for light, fight for right, fight for our people and of course growth and healing within my own journey. 'I hope what I share helps our people across the globe ... I'm not perfect but I am on an amazing path to being my best self and do believe I can help others stuck in darkness or [who] may need to hear what I may share.' 'I will continue my fitness journey and boxing' She also wants to become a personal trainer for those who struggle to get out of the house and into a gym. Kimi Parata is on the undercard of this boxing event on August 30. And her dream is to start her own brand of clothing. 'I'm starting back up with my own merchandise brand Mamagheeghee clothing and also my own fitness logo DMC which means dedication motivational change. Which I created after I gave up meth,' Parata said. Mamaghee The Motivator is taking on Memz in a charity boxing fundraiser. Parata is fighting Memz on the undercard at the Ben Lamond Centre in Pakuranga on August 30. Joseph Los'e is an award winning journalist and joined NZME in 2022 as Kaupapa Māori Editor. Los'e was a chief reporter, news director at the Sunday News newspaper covering crime, justice and sport. He was also editor of the NZ Truth and prior to joining NZME worked for urban Māori organisation Whānau Waipareira.
Scoop
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
‘Forgotten Their Roots': Te Matatini Risks Alienating Regions
Article – Max Frethey – Local Democracy Reporter Te Matatini risks alienating the regions with its decision not to host the 2027 event in Te Tauhihu, Whakatū Nelson's Māori Ward councillor has warned. It was announced on Monday that the next national kapa haka competition will not be hosted in the Top of the South, as had been planned since 2013. Society heamana (chair) Tā Herewini Parata said the decision was not a reflection on Te Tauihu (the Top of the South Island). 'As the festival continues to grow in size and significance, the planning and delivery of Te Matatini must reflect that scale,' he said. 'While this decision is heartbreaking for many, we have had to be realistic and seriously re-evaluate the risks of holding Te Matatini in its current format in our smaller regions.' The festival had seen 'unprecedented growth' and despite Te Tauihu working hard to find solutions, Parata said concerns remained, particularly around accommodation and transport – about 70,000 people attended the 2025 event in Taranaki. Te Matatini was now inviting expressions of interest for hosting the 2027 event. Nelson's Māori Ward councillor said the news was 'outrageously disappointing'. 'We had quite a few options on the table that we've got plenty of time to be able to deliver on those, but… they're not interested in trying to keep Te Matatini connected to the regions,' Kahu Paki Paki said. 'They run the risk, a very serious risk, of isolating some of the regions that won't even get a chance to host.' He acknowledged that there were some 'challenges' in hosting Ngā Kapa Haka Kura Tuarua, the national secondary schools' kapa haka festival, in 2024 but they had provided 'good learning lessons' for local organisers and ultimately the event was a 'great success'. Kapa haka was community-focused and community-building, and so the prospect of iwi and hapū around the motu missing out on hosting Te Matatini in favour of the main centres was 'really sad', Paki Paki said. 'If Taranaki could do it, and they did it really well, there's no reason why we couldn't have done it just as well… they have forgotten their roots, they've walked away from the regions. It's a real shame.' Parata was not able to respond in time for publication, but on Tuesday morning he told Waatea News that he acknowledged that the decision was 'disappointing' for Te Tauihu. 'There's over a million people in New Zealand that have got an opinion on Te Matatini – and their opinions are all right – however it's the board's decision to make,' he said. But he added that there was still 'a lot of goodwill' for the regions. 'Maybe, I can't say outright, we need to look at the whole festival and ways of hosting Te Matatini in the smaller rohe.' That could include potentially reducing the number of kapa haka groups that participate down from the current 55 so areas like Te Tauihu could host the festival in the 'near future'. Nelson and Tasman's mayors are also disappointed in the decision, but understood the capacity concerns from Te Matatini. Tasman Mayor Tim King said even though the two youth kapa haka events Te Tauihu previously hosted were 'very successful', there were still challenges with many people travelling daily between Nelson and Marlborough. Nelson Mayor Nick Smith said the benefits of hosting Te Matatini outweighed the costs for the council, and that the organisation had supported hosting the event locally 'at every step'. Both hoped Te Tauihu would be able to host the event in the future and would be keen to see the return of the youth competitions again. 'We… are keen for this uniquely New Zealand art to still be very welcome in the city and region,' Smith said. Sonny Alesana, heamana (chair) of the local Te Tauihu o Te Waka-a-Māui Māori Cultural Council, was hopeful the region could have the opportunity to host again sometime in the future. 'We are disappointed, but we also understand the pressure Te Matatini is under, both in terms of its growth and the financial implications of that,' he said. 'We are committed to continuing to work with Te Matatini to ensure Te Tauihu does have its time in the sun and that smaller regions are not automatically disqualified from hosting.' Alexander Siebentritt, president of Hospitality NZ's Nelson branch said hosting Te Matatini would have had 'very positive effects' for the local economy – the 2023 event in Tāmaki Makarau Auckland generated more than $26 million. 'We just simply have to carry on and focus on how we can find alternatives to fill these gaps.' He said the region was 'fantastic' and able to cater to large events. 'This is a great opportunity for another great event to be hosted in our region, if there's anyone out there, I've just heard some dates in February 2027, became available.' Concerns about the region's ability to host the event in 2027 were thrown into the spotlight in March when Te Mauri o Te Matatini was not passed from Taranaki representatives to Te Tauihu.
Scoop
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
‘Forgotten Their Roots': Te Matatini Risks Alienating Regions
Article – Max Frethey – Local Democracy Reporter The next national kapa haka competition will not be hosted in the Top of the South as planned since 2013. Te Matatini risks alienating the regions with its decision not to host the 2027 event in Te Tauhihu, Whakatū Nelson's Māori Ward councillor has warned. It was announced on Monday that the next national kapa haka competition will not be hosted in the Top of the South, as had been planned since 2013. Society heamana (chair) Tā Herewini Parata said the decision was not a reflection on Te Tauihu (the Top of the South Island). 'As the festival continues to grow in size and significance, the planning and delivery of Te Matatini must reflect that scale,' he said. 'While this decision is heartbreaking for many, we have had to be realistic and seriously re-evaluate the risks of holding Te Matatini in its current format in our smaller regions.' The festival had seen 'unprecedented growth' and despite Te Tauihu working hard to find solutions, Parata said concerns remained, particularly around accommodation and transport – about 70,000 people attended the 2025 event in Taranaki. Te Matatini was now inviting expressions of interest for hosting the 2027 event. Nelson's Māori Ward councillor said the news was 'outrageously disappointing'. 'We had quite a few options on the table that we've got plenty of time to be able to deliver on those, but… they're not interested in trying to keep Te Matatini connected to the regions,' Kahu Paki Paki said. 'They run the risk, a very serious risk, of isolating some of the regions that won't even get a chance to host.' He acknowledged that there were some 'challenges' in hosting Ngā Kapa Haka Kura Tuarua, the national secondary schools' kapa haka festival, in 2024 but they had provided 'good learning lessons' for local organisers and ultimately the event was a 'great success'. Kapa haka was community-focused and community-building, and so the prospect of iwi and hapū around the motu missing out on hosting Te Matatini in favour of the main centres was 'really sad', Paki Paki said. 'If Taranaki could do it, and they did it really well, there's no reason why we couldn't have done it just as well… they have forgotten their roots, they've walked away from the regions. It's a real shame.' Parata was not able to respond in time for publication, but on Tuesday morning he told Waatea News that he acknowledged that the decision was 'disappointing' for Te Tauihu. 'There's over a million people in New Zealand that have got an opinion on Te Matatini – and their opinions are all right – however it's the board's decision to make,' he said. But he added that there was still 'a lot of goodwill' for the regions. 'Maybe, I can't say outright, we need to look at the whole festival and ways of hosting Te Matatini in the smaller rohe.' That could include potentially reducing the number of kapa haka groups that participate down from the current 55 so areas like Te Tauihu could host the festival in the 'near future'. Nelson and Tasman's mayors are also disappointed in the decision, but understood the capacity concerns from Te Matatini. Tasman Mayor Tim King said even though the two youth kapa haka events Te Tauihu previously hosted were 'very successful', there were still challenges with many people travelling daily between Nelson and Marlborough. Nelson Mayor Nick Smith said the benefits of hosting Te Matatini outweighed the costs for the council, and that the organisation had supported hosting the event locally 'at every step'. Both hoped Te Tauihu would be able to host the event in the future and would be keen to see the return of the youth competitions again. 'We… are keen for this uniquely New Zealand art to still be very welcome in the city and region,' Smith said. Sonny Alesana, heamana (chair) of the local Te Tauihu o Te Waka-a-Māui Māori Cultural Council, was hopeful the region could have the opportunity to host again sometime in the future. 'We are disappointed, but we also understand the pressure Te Matatini is under, both in terms of its growth and the financial implications of that,' he said. 'We are committed to continuing to work with Te Matatini to ensure Te Tauihu does have its time in the sun and that smaller regions are not automatically disqualified from hosting.' Alexander Siebentritt, president of Hospitality NZ's Nelson branch said hosting Te Matatini would have had 'very positive effects' for the local economy – the 2023 event in Tāmaki Makarau Auckland generated more than $26 million. 'We just simply have to carry on and focus on how we can find alternatives to fill these gaps.' He said the region was 'fantastic' and able to cater to large events. 'This is a great opportunity for another great event to be hosted in our region, if there's anyone out there, I've just heard some dates in February 2027, became available.' Concerns about the region's ability to host the event in 2027 were thrown into the spotlight in March when Te Mauri o Te Matatini was not passed from Taranaki representatives to Te Tauihu.
