Every Wednesday Block 1 our students are involved in 75 minutes of Extended Whānau Time. Term 2 has involved a re-set of the ‘Why’ of Whānau Space, completion of a student voice survey, and the following learning at each level of the school.

Pāpāmoa College Whānau Time

Rationale:

• To foster a strong sense of belonging amongst learners, staff and whānau/families

• To develop meaningful relationships for our learners with a ‘significant adult’

• Provide a consistent connection point between whānau / caregivers and school

• To facilitate Pāpāmoa College to become a robust community of learning

• To make a significant difference to our learners’ sense of identity, belonging, and the culture of our school

Outcomes:

• Attendance - having a significant adult ensures far better tracking of attendance and greater connections with whānau to support students attending and staying at school

• Engagement - having a significant adult ensures that students understand that any changes in engagement will be monitored and addressed as required

• Achievement - having a significant adult ensures each student's progress is tracked and there is someone able to advocate for students

• Celebrate successes of students in school with whānau and vice versa

• Whānau have one consistent point of contact with school
  
  

Pink Shirt Day 20 May 2022

Our Lower Middle School and Senior School were involved in activities for Pink Shirt Day during week two and three of this term. The school held a Pink Shirt Day on Friday the 20 May where all of our staff and students were encouraged to wear pink to stand against bullying.

“Kōrero Mai, Kōrero Atu, Mauri Tū, Mauri Ora – Speak Up, Stand Together, Stop Bullying!”

What is Pink Shirt Day all about?

Learning activities: Activity: Pink Shirt Day

Kaiaki and Rangatahi Resources: Schools/Kura - Pink Shirt Day

Year 7 & 8: Week 5 -10: Matariki

Matariki is the Māori name for a group of stars that are also known as the Pleiades star cluster.

The physical appearance of Matariki in the sky was traditionally used by a tohunga (a priest or expert) as a forecast of the year ahead. Clear and bright stars signalled warm and productive seasons, and hazy or shimmering clusters meant a cold winter was coming and ground for crops was prepared accordingly.

Today Matariki is generally seen as an important time to celebrate the earth and show respect for the land. It is also a time to acknowledge those who have passed away and to plan for the year ahead.

Matariki is a good opportunity for all New Zealanders to come together with Māori communities to learn their stories, culture, and language.

Our lower middle school will be engaged in a number of learning activities about Matariki. The learning will include the significance of the Matariki constellation, and the meaning and significance of each whetu/star in the constellation. Students will also be involved in learning activities such as Taonga Puoro/Traditional Maori Music, Polynesian navigation and wayfinding, Matariki stories, and organising celebrations with our learning commons.

Year 11 -13 Senior School

The Senior School have been learning about Pink Shirt Day for the first two weeks of this term and will start their passion projects during week four. Some of our students have already decided what projects they want to initiate, including; Matariki Activities at a local daycare, assisting with technical support (attaching photos to texts and emails) at a Retirement Village, environmental projects, etc.

Weeks 3 -10: Passion Projects

Local curriculum

Due to the emphasis on student voice and undertaking projects that are authentic and meaningful to learners, ‘Passion Projects’ allow teachers to "be responsive to the needs, identities, languages, cultures, interests, strengths, and aspirations of learners and their families." (Ministry of Education, 2019, p. 5 )

What Are Passion Projects?

A passion project is an independent project (not a project assigned by a teacher or expected by a parent). It demonstrates your initiative, creativity, determination, and personal values and interests.

And as the name suggests, it’s something that our young people are passionate about. A passion project should inspire and excite. It should be something that lights our students up and sparks genuine enthusiasm.

Common types of passion projects include starting a small business or a nonprofit, writing a blog or book, initiating a community project, doing independent research, or inventing something.

5 Reasons to Have a Passion Projects in Whānau Class

Pursuing a passion project in college offers incredible benefits that can last for a lifetime. Here are six of the best reasons to have passion projects offered in Whānau Class at our school. .

1. Develop Valuable Skills

Tackling a big, meaningful project gives our students’ the opportunity to develop a wealth of valuable skills. They will learn problem-solving skills, creativity, leadership, teamwork, persistence, and more. All these skills are essential to career and life success.

They will also learn specific skills relevant to the project they decide to pursue. For instance, they might learn about budgeting, marketing, communication, coding, small business regulations, or fundraising. The possibilities are endless.

Often, passion projects give our senior students the opportunity to accomplish something they never thought they could. They get to dream big, make a positive impact in their community, and sometimes earn an income. These accomplishments show that they are can set a big goal and successfully reach it. When they see how much they are truly capable of, their confidence grows.

Passion projects allow our students to tap into their creative side, and enjoy themselves, while still working hard and achieving. Creativity reduces stress, increases overall well-being, and is also a vital skill in the modern workplace. Every company in the world needs people who can create, innovate, and take a fresh approach to problem-solving. Passion projects help you become the type of person who can fill these needs.

Whether they start a business or a nonprofit organisation, invent or create, or lead a volunteer project in your community, passion projects can make a positive impact on others.

Passion Projects also give universities or future employees information about who you are and what makes you tick. The hours students spend implementing their passion projects can also be put towards students’ community service hours.

A reminder: Our Year 12 and 13 students need 10 community service hours to be able to attend the 2022 ball.

Passion projects look great on university applications and help our students stand out. They also serve our community, teach essential skills, and can even boost overall hauora. Plus, completing a passion project is a fun and meaningful experience.

Our students will start by discovering their passions. They will then brainstorm ideas, set a mission or goal, make a list of resources they will need, and find a mentor to provide guidance.

Year 9 & 10: Week 1 -10: Careers Education

The Upper Middle School are developing Career Management Competencies. Learning and career planning is a process of exploration and discussion that leads to the identification of possible future learning, career and personal goals (in and outside of school).

At year 9 and 10, learning and career planning is about developing awareness and exploring possibilities, not about students deciding their future. The process includes a combination of teacher led and self managing learning activities. Students will start building their career profile via Career Central which is a student interfacing Career Management database. We hope to provide parents and whānau with login access to your child’s profile over the coming weeks.