RJHS Newsletter - Term 2, Issue 4

KORERO FROM FRASER

The week before last we had the opportunity to attend a cluster (Kahui Āko) teacher only day at Claudelands Events Centre. The purpose of the day was to connect with Ngāti Wairere, our local hapū and to engage with their stories of our local history. This partnership and the stories we capture are vital ahead of the Aotearoa NZ Histories curriculum release and subsequent implementation in 2023. We heard some powerful recollections of colonial impact in our region and how this has affected Māori over generations. If you haven’t heard of or read about the new histories curriculum it is well worth a look. We are looking forward to some powerful learning in this area over coming years.

Check out the official Aotearoa NZ Histories webpage.

This week we are also working with a professional film production crew, supported financially by Kahui Āko funding to capture the history and importance of the naming and gifting of our school, Iwi, Hapū and space names. This gifting of the names to us has again been a partnership with Ngāti Wairere and we feel privileged with the rich history and connections these names have created for our school.

Friday week is of course also NZ's inaugural Matariki Day celebrations and public holiday. At our Kahui Āko day we had the privilege of hearing from Professor Rangi Matamua about the relevance and significance of Matariki for Māori and NZers. This was absolutely fascinating and entertaining at the same time. I encourage everyone to check out the following presentation on his website which explains why it is now an important date for all NZers to celebrate.

https://livingbythestars.co.nz/

I am looking forward to taking part in all the different Matariki celebrations next week.

In the last few weeks we have set up our own SchoolTV site. This is an amazing resource for us as a school but also for you as parents and caregivers. The site hosts a range of short and informative video clips on a range of topics ranging from mental health, school attendance, managing screen time, friendships, resilience, blended families, trauma and more. We know that we are often at a loss to find informed and expert advice on a range of complex behaviours and situations we encounter with our young people. We know this is also the case for parents and caregivers as well. If you are struggling with something currently, I encourage you to have a browse through the entire site here: https://www.rhs.school.nz/schooltv

Each month SchoolTV does a special topic, usually linked to something that is topical for communities and families at the time. Check out the section below for our first special topic on the 'Psychological Pandemic'.