December 16 2016, and the first piece of demolition began on our school into the transformation it is becoming.

The following awards are Year 6 specific and are always presented at the Leavers Prizegiving. The "Big Four" are re-presented at the final assembly in front of the whole school community.

They came dressed in their good clothes - waiting outside in anticipation of the doors opening to be welcomed to the Year 6 Leaver's Dinner.

The following speech was given by Mr Buckner at the Leaver's Prizegiving, and a shorter abridged version was again shared at the final assembly on December 15, 2017

To conclude the year in Enviro Ed the Wairere students made some amazing dioramas based on a garden/plant theme.

On Wednesday 22 November we welcomed a number of members from the Canterbury Horticultural Society to tour our school's edible, flower and sensory gardens.

What a surprise four of our wonderful students got when they collected the eggs from our school hens on Wednesday this week.

As part of the 'Orchards in Schools' programme a number of fruit trees have just been planted at school.

The weather may have been a change from the last couple of weeks, but the children and their families had a great deal of fun today.

There was plenty of skill being shown by the kids ... and some of the parents, at the end of season Parents vs Kids game on Tuesday.

Shane and the other four principals from the Hereora Cluster are in Papakura staying on the Marae ...

Term 4 in Ōtākaro Learning Community has been all about building relationships as healthy relationships are the foundation on which quality learning can take place!

We have been learning how artists use line and colour to invoke a sense of movement and emotion.

As the year 6's are off sailing for the day, the year 5's have been doing some team building and leadership activities.

On Wednesday and Thursday of last week the Wai-iti team visited the Christchurch Art Gallery . 

Len Lye is an exhibit on at the art gallery very worth seeing.

The Otakaro team enjoyed a Farming Frenzy today.

Our team had a great experience last week with the Art Gallery visits!

On Friday the Ōtākaro learning team had a very special We Care day where we took time to celebrate ourselves and our friends by doing lots of activities to show that we care.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings, 8:30am.

On Wednesday the 8th of November there was a tech day at Burnside High School, filled to the brim with fun.

Please read the letter regarding the upcoming mid term Board of Trustees elections.

Athletics Day is held near the beginning of term 4. It's always a fun day with lots of activities and a shared lunch with whanau.

The much awaited Annual Wairakei School Athletics Day was held on Wednesday 25th October.

Over 100 schools in the greater Christchurch area learn the same 10 songs in order to have the chance to perform at the annual Festival in the Horncastle Arena.

New learning on Friday mornings.

The children had a busy day at Athletics Sports. Running, jumping and throwing their way to success!

Over the next few weeks Wai-iti will be exploring how artist use energy and movement to create different dances.

The residents were singing and humming along to our awesome choir on a community outreach visit.

Back to school fun in our new amazing space. 

Kia Ora and welcome to Wairakei and to the Ōtākaro Learning Community for 2018.

Open for inspection on Sunday the 15th of October from 2pm to 4pm. Come and have a look around before school goes back on Monday. 

Otakaro children enjoyed trying to work out what these mystery objects were.

Very proud children, parents, teachers and tutors watched as Lewis accepted the Junior Haka Trophy on behalf of our Ropu at the recent Tuhono kapa haka competition.

The Otakaro Team are practising hard for our Athletics Day next term!

Every Friday the Wai-iti team look forward to Discovery. 

Nic Pethig, our Board of Trustees Chairperson has written a letter to our school community

Wai-iti is celebrating the arrival of spring by creating beautiful paper bouquets.

Mr. Hume from Meridian Energy comes to talk to Wairere.

On Fridays, the Wairere team are learning all about different cultures. We have started our cultural study on Samoa. 

Warakei students hit the courts!

In the Wairere team, we have started our Inquiry unit on Green Energy Go. We are learning all about renewable energy and how it is generated.

Wai-iti are using the technology design process to create a car that uses a source of energy to move.

This week our Ōtākaro Learning Team moved into our new learning space. Students across the team drew on their ability to Make Meaningful Connections to transition into this amazing new learning environment. 

Go behind the scenes to see what went into preparing for the Variety Bash. 

As part of our geometry focus in Otakaro, we've been exploring the shapes we can find in the world around us.

This is a quote from our recent ERO report. 

The more parents who are involved, the more we can achieve! We say thank you to our parents. 

With thanks to the Wairakei Hens, the Wai-iti team have been enjoying some boiled eggs.

Wai-iti has been investigating energy and how it can transform from one form to another.

After a successful fundraiser, the student leaders made a trip to the SPCA to drop off the cheque for $188.50 from the colouring competition and mufti day, and the blankets which were donated.

Wai-iti use the learning characteristic of "we work hard" to practice their Kapa haka skills!

The Student Leaders designed a cupcake colouring in competition as part of the SPCA cupcake day fundraiser.

First of all we say gomabseubnida, Thank you. 고맙습니다

Our A Team played a great game against Christ the King today at Wairakei School.

The Wairakei School Leadership Team and Board of Trustees invited feedback from our school community's on their views on our swimming programme at Jellie Park, your child's well-being, school communication channels and parent education sessions. This is the response document to that feedback.

Each week, children actively explore engaging Action Learning Stations in a structured environment. 

Students and teachers came to school sporting their zaniest head gear!

Wai-iti was lucky to experience coaching from some Mainland Football experts.

Lots of fun and creativity in Wai-iti.

Welcome back to Term 3! Hopefully everyone has kept warm and dry and enjoyed the holidays. Children and teachers write articles about all the things we get up to at Wairakei, these are posted on the school website so be sure to keep up with all our news here.

Teaching financial literacy in Wairere.

The Wairere team started the term with their Absolutely Brilliant Auction. 

Otakaro and Wai-iti children getting active at Kelly Sports.

Please read about what is happening in our Junior Learning Community this term!

Sharing Indian food today was a great way to celebrate our learning about India.  A big thankyou to all the wonderful parents who were able to bring food and help out in the kitchen.

On Wednesday 14 June, the children of Ōtākaro and Timatanga Hou were nowhere to be seen!  Instead, adults of a whole range of occupations and interests turned up at school!

Showing We Care by maintaining relationships with the wider community.

Recently the children from Timatanga Hau and Otakaro ran in the Junior Cross Country.

Keeping you up-to-date from the Junior Team!

The tuakana–teina relationship, an integral part of traditional Māori society, provides a model for buddy systems. An older or more expert tuakana helps and guides a younger or less expert teina. In a learning environment that recognises the value of ako, the tuakana–teina roles may be reversed at any time.

The senior Wairere Choir has been working hard to prepare for the North West Festival at the Aurora Centre this Wednesday.

This Thursday the 25th of May. Middles starting their races at 1:30pm and the Juniors will join them at 2pm. 

Ōtākaro learning community lit up last Wednesday when students and teachers came to school in their brightest outfits!

A snapshot of the Wairere Team in action using their new learning space and environment.  

End of Term 1 Newsletter

Term 2 newsletter

For the first time, we had a Basketball Team in the South Island Primary Basketball Tournament.

Welcome to the Otakaro and Timatanga Hou Learning Communities Junior Years 1 and 2

After a term of disruption, the Wairere and Wai-iti Learning Communities moved into their new learning spaces today.

Both the Wairere and Wai-iti Learning Communities have moved into their new spaces today. We are going to have a full opening celebration at the beginning of next term once the third block has been completed.

Blocks One and Two will be ready for occupation for term 2. The Wairere and Wai-iti learning communities will be able to move into their new learning spaces and block 3 will begin its transformation.

Another wee sneak preview of some of the awesome things happening at Ngati Moki Marae in Taumutu.

Otakaro was swarming with wild, weird and wacky hair styles this Wednesday!

It may have been wet and dreary when we left Christchurch, but the weather cleared for the welcome onto the Marae for the first campers this morning.

In the final of this term's digital technology workshops, the Wairakei Technology Leaders designed, laser cut, and used Scratch and Makey Makey boards to create unique working ukuleles.

On the 31st of March there was an Amazing Book day held at school! The Student Leaders organised the event and everyone was asked to dress up as their favourite book character. We were raising money to go towards the Christchurch Library van that has been visiting our school this term. We raised an incredible $221 for the Christchurch Library.

Our Wairakei Technology Leaders were super excited to have their first workshop at one of our cool CoL schools, Breens Intermediate.

We all had an Absolutely Brilliant time at Blue Skies in Kaiapoi.

All Otakaro learners enjoyed a visit to the Olympia Gymnastics Centre.

 This week we had a visit from Captain Cashtastic (Amie from ASB Getwise) who helped our Wairakei learners become cash clever.

The Wai-iti team are right into the swing of things with learning to self manage and collaborate. 

The Year 6 students left school to head to camp at Okains Bay last Tuesday.  As always, camp was great fun and chock-full of amazing learning opportunities - from setting up camp, cooking meals to lagoon and ocean swims and much more...

It's all go in Wairere this afternoon!

While we do not have access to our own school library because of the refurbishments taking place, we have planned a couple of visits from the Chch City Council Mobile Library during the term.

Kia Ora to our parents and caregivers from the Wairere Team.  This will be a year filled with many new experiences and learning for your child.

Kapa haka - or traditional Māori performing arts - forms a powerful and highly visual part of the New Zealand cultural experience. Kapa haka is the term for Māori performing arts and literally means to form a line (kapa) and dance (haka).