News from the Principal - Week 3

Kia ora te whānau

Wow! What an amazing week we have had this week at Whītau School.  Whānau Hui, Year 4 - 6 Athletics Day, preparation for our trip to The New Zealand Show next week, Hone Hato St John visiting to teach about being safe and Constable Jeff visiting the juniors for Keeping Ourselves Safe!   

Our 2022 Whītau School Whānau Hui

A huge thank you to the Whānau who joined us for the Whānau Hui.  It was lovely to come together in the School Hall and share our progress since our last Whānau Hui in 2021.  

We shared about the different ethnicities that make up Whītau School.  Currently, New Zealand Māori are our largest group of students at Whītau School.  We also have 29 more boys than girls at Whītau School.

At our last Hui we shared some next steps based on some professional learning that we had completed through CORE Education in 2021. It was great to be able to share the visual below showing our progress so far.  Some of the things that aren't ticked are also underway.    

Some other things that we have made progress with that we are celebrating are:

• A Māori Board Member was elected through the BOT election process

• Māori students in Years 3 - 6 have performed as well as the school average in Reading, Writing and Maths

• Seven staff have completed the Ngāi Tāhu/Ministry of Education Level 1 ‘Te Ahu O Te Reo Māori’ professional development this year and one in 2019

• We have re-established a relationship with Maaka Tau from Te Taumata o Ngāi Tuahuriri so we have a Kaumatua who we can use to consult with

• We are upskilling a Kaiako within Whītau School to tutor our School Kapahaka Performance Group, as there is a nationwide shortage of tutors

• All students from Years 0 - 6 participate in a weekly Cultural hour with Mr Betts

• We are participating in the new Tūhono Kapahaka Festival in the Christchurch Town Hall

• We are booked for all our teaching staff to attend Teacher PLD at the start of 2023 at Tuahiwi - Ngāi Tūāhuriri Cultural Education Workshop - to grow our teacher knowledge of our local environment.

We shared some information about the new Aotearoa Histories Curriculum and a video from Jacinda Ardern outlining why it is important for our tamariki in New Zealand to learn about our history.  You can watch that video here.   We then worked through an Aotearoa Histories implementation activity with whānau. We brainstormed a list of people and places in the community that can support the development of histories in our Social Sciences learning. This is what we brainstormed: 

Who are the experts in our Community?

Who could we collaborate with and what can we create 

together?

We also asked whānau to share their wishes, hopes and dreams for their child at Whītau School.  Here is what was shared: 

 - Develop an understanding of the local history

- Keep it local

- Communicate with the marae

- Knowledge of community support

- Learning senior/junior - Teina/Tuakana

- Make connections through pepeha and visit places connected to their pepeha

- Knowing more about Whītau - taking it off the wall, bringing it alive

- Being more involved in school activities e.g. Kapahaka, sport

- Gain more confidence in different areas

- More interactive

- More involvement

- Confidence in Te Reo Māori

- Confidence in their pepeha and public speaking

- A day trip to a marae

- Support for pakeha whānau to learn more about Māori tīkanga and culture

- Excel not just as an individual but as a team player

- Know and look to leaders and role models of their culture

- More sports events throughout the year

- More practical/hands on/creative learning like our tūpuna

- The end goal to be Māori students excelling and being top achievers in all areas, not just meeting the average

- Lifelong friendships

- Feeling part of a community

- Confidence to sing and haka

- Participate in team sports

- Happiness

- To learn about Tesla technology

- Learn about music

- Learn about healthy food and healing

The New Zealand Show

A notice went home via Seesaw on Tuesday morning about what students need for the day at The Show.  We have also shared this on Facebook.   It is free for children to attend The A & P Show. This is a fabulous opportunity for our students to learn about this special show and see the animals. There is no cost for students for this trip as Ngāi Tāhu are funding the bus transport for staff, students and parent helpers. The school will fund the cost of all adult entry tickets.

The whole school will be supported by parent helpers who will travel with us on the buses.  Notices have gone home to accept or decline help already, if you are unsure, please call in and see me to confirm.

Here are the things that your child will need for the day:

• A school bag they can carry

• Correct, tidy and clean school uniform and school sunhat

• A full packed lunch - we will not be able to take school lunches on this day

• A full water bottle

• KidsCan jacket

• Their school sweatshirt or polar fleece

• Spending money - maximum of $10.00 in a small purse or wallet to spend at the show (optional)

• Sunblock applied before school

Each student will be given a name tag to wear for the day with the school mobile number on it which I will have with me at The Show. 

Kia pai tō koutou rā 

Amy Collins

Acting Principal | Tumuaki Tuarua

amy@whitau.school.nz