Tuakana and Teina are terms used in traditional Māori culture to refer to the relationships between older and younger individuals within families.

In the context of education, these terms are also used to describe the connections between people within a school community. At Stanley Bay, we actively foster the Tuakana Teina approach with buddy classes which pair older classes with younger classes for various activities on a regular basis. These activities include reading to each other or participating in physical education sessions. The Tuakana Teina practice not only nurtures social connections but also helps develop valuable skills.

Wow, what an incredible day we had during the cross country event last week. What truly impressed me was the display of Tuakana Teina among our students. Witnessing the older children running alongside and supporting their younger peers, particularly those who were struggling or at the back of the race, was truly inspiring. The seniors showed tremendous encouragement by running alongside the juniors. Everyone was cheering too. Furthermore, I was delighted to see the senior children voluntarily taking responsibility of returning the equipment back up the hill to school, at the end of the event. I would like to extend my gratitude to the parents and relatives who came to support the event. It felt like one big family at our kura (school).

In addition to our existing initiatives, I am excited to announce that Mr. Scott Boniface will be launching a Whanaketanga program. This program aims to welcome community members to support students learning. To learn more about this initiative, we invite anyone interested to join us for a morning tea on Thursday at 10.30 am. Please note that all volunteers will undergo a police check. This is open to our family community, and we are also extending our outreach to the older community, particularly retired individuals who may have the time and desire to connect with us. It is yet another way to promote the spirit of Tuakana Teina. If you know of someone who might be interested, encourage them to contact the school office.

Finally, I am looking forward to our upcoming information evening on Thursday night at 7 pm in the school hall. It will be an opportunity to hear about what I have noticed, what has changed, clarify what will remain the same, and share potential future developments. For those who cannot make it, we will endeavour to record the evening and share it with the community by the end of next week.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the following students' writing who got a Principal’s sticker:

Ngā mihi nui,

Emma Tolmie

GradDipTchg (Prim). BA. PGDipEd. MEdLd.

Tumuaki / Principal