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Photo by Danielle Boxall

Making a Difference 

Danielle Boxall —

In Kaunuku we have kickstarted our new Kaupapa - Making a Difference.

Kaupapa Ako makes up the bulk of our learning time and it is where we use transdisciplinary learning (connecting subjects and ideas from across the curriculum). This term we have decided to focus on the overall theme of 'making a difference.' The children attended snappers (short information sessions) at the start of this term to find out what was on offer, then they opted into the area that interested them. They will stay in this area for most of the term and will follow the Haeata inquiry process through to the completion of a project of their choice. Our ākonga are making a difference....

  • through art and/or music
  • by caring for animals
  • by looking after our waterways
  • through coding to improve things

In each of these areas the children are first immersed in the topic to awaken their curiosity. They will ask questions, investigate, research and ignite their passion. Then once they have found their passion, this will lead them on a self-guided learning process where they will eventually create and communicate their idea. The teachers of each area are interweaving the New Zealand Curriculum learning areas within this topic. As an example in the making a difference through art group we are using maths to learn how to draw to scale, we are learning about measurement in order to draw up plans, we are reading about famous street artists in Christchurch and we are writing about them and reflecting on our learning. We are also making links to the community by going out and seeing the street art in our area and inviting artists in to talk about their skills and passions and how they made a career out of something they love doing. 

The atmosphere in Kaunuku is buzzing at the moment. Please feel free to come in and see what your tamariki are doing, or feel free to reach out if you feel that you have a skill you may be able to pass on in any of these areas.