Supporting and transforming school principals’ wellbeing and leadership

School leadership matters, but many principals are over worked with little space to truly lead. Principal illbeing is an increasing concern with widespread reports of stress, burnout and associated negative health outcomes. Limited research has focused on effective ways to address this, and professional learning opportunities for principals still tend to focus on the technical skills of managing a school, reducing leadership to a suite of behaviours and skill sets, rather than the meta cognitive skills of self-awareness, managing self, emotional and attentional regulation. This longitudinal mixed method study examined how mindfulness training as professional learning (PL) could support school principals’ wellbeing and leadership. Mindfulness programs have become increasingly accepted in workplaces to increase personal awareness, manage stress, promote wellbeing, enhance engagement and performance, and enrich leadership. Participants were 30 school principals who attended a mindful leadership training program (10 x 2-hour weekly sessions over a four-month period) that provided three core elements: secular mind training (mindfulness practice), mental strategy or habits of mind training and mindful work applications. The impact of the PL on wellbeing and leadership over the school year, were examined through interviews and questionnaires collected pre- and post-program and then six months later. Increases in participants’ awareness to manage their wellbeing and successfully negotiate work-related stressors were identified and leadership authenticity developed in the six months following the program. There was strong maintenance of the training through to the end of the year. Some gender differences were also identified, with females showing increased benefits over their male counterparts. The results of this longitudinal study provide insight into how mindfulness training as professional learning not only improves school principals’ wellbeing but also transforms their approach to being and leading more authentically

Copolymerization of ε-caprolactone and morpholine-2,5-dione derivatives

Novel biodegradable poly(ester-amide)s were prepared by ring-opening copolymerization of -caprolactone and 3- and/or 6-alkyl-substituted morpholine-2,5-dione derivatives. The copolymerizations were carried out in the bulk using stannous octoate as an initiator. Molecular weights of the copolymers ranged from 1,0 · 104 to 8,3 · 104 and decreased with increasing mole fractions of morpholine-2,5-dione derivatives in the feed. 13C NMR sequence analysis indicated that the copolymers had a random distribution of -oxycaproyl and depsipeptide units, which resulted from the occurrence of transesterification reactions during copolymerization. The results of the DSC measurements and 13C NMR sequence analysis showed a close relationship between the crystallinity and average length of ε-oxycaproyl blocks. Copolymers with a mole fraction of depsipeptide units smaller than 0,20 were semi-crystalline, whereas incorporation of larger amounts of depsipeptide units resulted in amorphous copolymers. The melting point depression as a function of the molar composition of the semi-crystalline copolymers was in good agreement with the melting point depression predicted by the Baur equation, which indicated the rejection of depsipeptide units from crystals consisting of ε-oxycaproyl units

‘Head’ first: Principal self-care to promote teacher resilience

As leaders of school communities, principals have a significant impact on school culture and teachers’ well-being at work. A school principal’s positive or negative emotions can influence the mood of their teaching staff and can enhance or hinder a teacher’s resilience. Unfortunately, though, many school principals suffer from their own high levels of stress, emotional exhaustion and fatigue-related issues, whilst concurrently being tasked with the responsibility and management of the well-being of their staff. In this chapter, we explore the role of mindfulness and self-care in promoting resilience as a way for school principals to meet the challenges of their role. Principals who are mindful and employ self-compassion are better placed and more resilient to positively impact others and flourish in their role. Leadership does matter and ensuring that we address leaders’ well-being and resilience will mean they will be better equipped to engender resilience in their staff

Sammanfattning av landskapsförbundens vindkraftsutredningar

Avsikten är att betydligt öka mängden energi som produceras med vindkraft fram till 2020 enligt åtagandepaketet för förnybar energi. Syftet med den här sammanfattningen av landskapsförbundens vindkraftsutredningar är att skapa en helhetsbild av områden i Finland som lämpar sig för vindkraftsproduktion. De områden som lämpar sig för vindkraftsproduktion har delats in enligt utredningsnoggrannhet i potentiella vindkraftsområden och utredningsområden för vindkraftsproduktion. I landskapsförbundens vindkraftsutredningar har sammanlagt 588 områden definierats (6 200 km2), varav 254 är potentiella vindkraftsområden och 334 är utredningsområden för vindkraftsproduktion. Enligt utredningen kunde sammanlagt cirka 12 000 MW vindkraft placeras i de potentiella vindkraftsområdena

Sammanfattning av landskapsförbundens vindkraftsutredningar

Avsikten är att betydligt öka mängden energi som produceras med vindkraft fram till 2020 enligt åtagandepaketet för förnybar energi. Syftet med den här sammanfattningen av landskapsförbundens vindkraftsutredningar är att skapa en helhetsbild av områden i Finland som lämpar sig för vindkraftsproduktion. De områden som lämpar sig för vindkraftsproduktion har delats in enligt utredningsnoggrannhet i potentiella vindkraftsområden och utredningsområden för vindkraftsproduktion. I landskapsförbundens vindkraftsutredningar har sammanlagt 588 områden definierats (6 200 km2), varav 254 är potentiella vindkraftsområden och 334 är utredningsområden för vindkraftsproduktion. Enligt utredningen kunde sammanlagt cirka 12 000 MW vindkraft placeras i de potentiella vindkraftsområdena

Yhteenveto maakuntien liittojen tuulivoimaselvityksistä

Tuulivoimalla tuotetun energian määrää Suomessa on tarkoitus lisätä merkittävästi vuoteen 2020 mennessä uusiutuvan energian velvoitepaketin mukaisesti. Tämän maakuntien liittojen tuulivoimaselvitysten yhteenvedon tarkoituksena on muodostaa kokonaiskuva tuulivoimatuotantoon soveltuvista alueista Suomessa. Tuulivoimatuotantoon soveltuvat alueet on jaoteltu selvitystarkkuuden mukaan potentiaalisiin tuulivoima-alueisiin ja tuulivoimatuotannon selvitysalueisiin. Maakuntien liittojen selvityksissä on määritetty yhteensä 588 aluetta (6 200 km²), joista potentiaalisten tuulivoima-alueiden osuus on 254 kappaletta ja tuulivoimatuotannon selvitysalueiden osuus 334 kappaletta.Selvityksen mukaan potentiaalisille tuulivoima-alueille voisi sijoittaa yhteensä 12 000 MW tuulivoimaa

Effects of acid atmospheric deposition on the chemical composition of loess, clay and peat soils under forest in the Netherlands

In addition to a survey of the soils under 150 forest stands on non-calcareous sandy soils, the chemical composition of the soils under 40 stands on non-calcareous loess soil, 30 stands on non-calcareous clay soils and 30 stands on oligotrophous peat soils have been examined, to assess the current status with repect to acidification and eutrophication, and the provide data for further studies. Only the clay soils are not yet seriously affected by the atmospheric inputs. The loess soils are generally considerably acidified, except the alluvial loess soils. The peat soils show a considerable eutrophication, especially in the topsoil, whereas anthropogenic acidification can hardly be separated from their natural acidity. Most investigated heavy metals show elevated concentrations, both in the humus layer and in the top soil, but serious pollution is not found