This term the concept of Hauora is incorporated into our learning. 

Hauora is a Māori philosophy of health involving taha tinana, taha hinengaro, taha wairua and taha whānau.  Each of these four dimensions of hauora influences and supports the others. 

The symbol used to represent this is the Te Whare Tapa Wha, which demonstrates that all 4 walls of a whare (house) are needed and must be in balance for the 'house' to be strong.

This aligns with the concept of 'well-being', which is recognised by the World Health Organisation as the physical, mental and emotional, spiritual and social dimensions of health. 

Here are some of the things students will be learning and thinking about this term.  In particular, there has been a lot of interest in some of our new human body resources.    

Taha Tinana (Physical well-being:  The world is ordered and principled):

The body has specific needs to grow, move and stay alive, so if you don’t meet them there are consequences for your body.  If you don’t keep your physical body healthy it affects the other 3 areas of hauora.  We are learning about the main body systems.   

Taha Hinengaro (Mental and emotional well-being:  The world is holistic, intertwined and integral )

We feel different emotions in different situations.  How we deal with situations can help or hinder our well-being.  It’s OK to feel angry/sad, but we need to find appropriate ways to respond/deal with it.  We can increase our understanding of a range of feelings and emotions to express our well-being.

Taha Wairua (Spiritual well-being: The world is mysterious, ambiguous and uncertain)

Your beliefs and values shape the way you lead your life, also your experiences shape your beliefs and values.  These beliefs and values give you direction in life. The decisions you make and the way you act are determined by what your beliefs are.  It’s not what you say that show the kind of person you are but the way you act.  Your actions and body language shows your belief system.

Taha Whanau (Social well-being:  The world is holistic, intertwined and integral)

Care, compassion, support and sense of belonging.  Cause and effect; how you treat someone is how you will be treated - you have the power to change relationships both positively and negatively.  

This inquiry is a great opportunity for students to further develop their self awareness and awareness of others.  It links to the health, social well-being and social science and science aspects of the NZ curriculum, and we will be exploring this topic through literacy, music, art, exercise, reflection and resource based activities.