Our Vision for a KingsWay Graduate

Kia Whanake!

The Māori word ‘whanake’ means to grow, to move onwards and upwards, to rise and develop. This word encapsulates the hope and desire that every parent has for their child; a desire to see them grow and develop to become everything God has created them to be.

As part of the New Zealand Curriculum, the Ministry of Education has developed a vision for all graduates. We have grabbed hold of this and reshaped this in line with our Christian special character:

The vision for KingsWay graduates is that they may be confident, connected, actively involved, lifelong learners who embody the Christian special character of the school.

One of the key challenges we have wrestled with over the last couple of years is how to be intentional about the pursuit of this vision. Yes, staff might be aware of this vision, but how are we bringing this to life? How are we supporting all students from Year 1 to Year 13 in achieving this vision?

Firstly, we needed to define this vision for our students by creating simple, clear language around each concept. Then we needed to address each concept, turning it into something that could tangibly be pursued. We came up with the following:

Following the structure above, we want to encourage students to set four goals and work through achieving these each year. To support their planning and capture their progress towards these goals, students will be encouraged to use their eportfolio; Kia Whanake. It is on this web-based platform that they can upload photos and videos and reflect on their progress towards the achievement of each goal. This information can easily be shared with their teacher, family and friends.

We see this as a powerful tool that will communicate clearly what we value at KingsWay School. We are excited about the potential to share learning between home and school, spurring our young people on to achieving their goals. This tool, Kia Whanake, will be launched in 2021 and integrated into learning programmes at all year levels.

We are expectant for what God is going to do as we call our students to move onwards and upwards, rise and develop into KingsWay School graduates.

Kia Whanake KingsWay!