Waikato Principal's Association 2026 Kaupapa - Supporting Resilient Educational Leadership
Welcome to the Waikato Principals' Association
Welcome to 2026.
The Waikato Principals’ Association (WPA) is the collective voice for primary and intermediate school principals in the greater Waikato region.
WPA is a strong lobby and support group that has influence at both the local and national level
The WPA is a strong and viable professional organisation that has a history of successful service, initiatives and representation of principals’ interests in addressing the needs of primary and intermediate school education in New Zealand.
Waikato Principals' Association 2026 Kaupapa
“Supporting Resilient Educational Leadership”
Schools act as collective, visible, and ongoing educational environments where actions support a shared vision of a commitment to growth through practices that inspire, support, and sustain a school culture centered on learning.
He Manawa tītī – “A person with the heart of a tītī,” Someone with great endurance, perseverance, and resilience, often used to honour leaders or staff who have demonstrated long-term commitment despite challenges.
Waikato Principals' Association 2026 Events
Making Connections Days 2026
Term 3 (Week 6) FRIDAY 28th August 2026
Term 4 (Week3) Thursday 29th October 2026
Term 3 Making Connections Day FRIDAY 28th August 2026
Come along and join your colleagues for our Term 3 Making Connection Day, to be held on a bus touring our very own local Waikato schools!! The WPA Executive have decided it’s time to take a look at some of our locally talented principals and beautiful schools within our own region. This will be a great day for plenty of mixing and mingling with colleagues and business partners alike!
Sold out – thank you to all of you that have registered for Friday, see you there!!!
Term 4 Making Connections Day Thursday 29th October 2026
Waikato Principals’ Connections Day – Term 4, 2026
Date: Thursday 29th October 2026 (Week 6) – Venue: FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton
Register now to secure your place: Register by Clicking Here
Featured Speaker: Craig Harrision
Designing Environments That Grow Resilience and Wellbeing
Rather than viewing resilience and wellbeing as qualities that need to be explicitly taught, Craig invites school leaders to explore a different question:
What kind of environments naturally develop resilient, capable and thriving people? |
Drawing on ideas from his new book, Coach by Design, Craig challenges the common tendency to focus on changing individuals. Instead, he demonstrates how the environments we intentionally create shape behaviour, relationships, culture and outcomes every day.
Through engaging stories, practical frameworks and collaborative activities, participants will examine how leadership behaviours and environmental design work together to influence resilience and wellbeing across their entire school community.
An Interactive Learning Experience:
This highly engaging session moves beyond the traditional keynote, with principals actively participating through:
- Storytelling and shared reflection
- Practical design activities
- Small-group discussion
- Self-assessment of their own school environments
- Collaborative redesign of real leadership challenges
Leaders Will Leave With:
- A practical framework for understanding resilience and wellbeing through environmental design.
- New ways to evaluate the hidden messages their school culture communicates.
- Practical leadership strategies that can be implemented immediately.
- A shared language for creating environments where staff and students can adapt, grow and flourish.
This inspiring session will challenge thinking while providing practical tools that leaders can immediately apply within their own schools.
Our Proud Business Partners
Gold Level:
Silver Level:
Bronze Level:
