Kia Manaaki, Kia Whakatupu, Kia Whakatutukitanga - To Care, To Grow and To Achieve
Kia Manaaki
Kia Manaaki (to care) is the heart of Whatawhata School. We are a community who invests in and nurtures relationships (whanaungatanga), empowering mana and identity.
We listen to understand each other
I am strong in my identity and know who I am
The teachers know me and understand me. We work together to make learning just right for me
My family knows how I am doing and how they can help me in my learning
— To Care
Kia Whakatupu
is the journey we travel. Through a courageous mindset and a nurturing environment (safe to take risks, make mistakes, reflect, and collaborate) we are empowered as individuals and a community toward success
I am capable, curious, and confident about what I know and what I need to know
The teachers know me and understand me. We work together to make learning just right for me
I can describe my learning goals and how I will achieve them
I know strategies to support me through challenges in my learning and life
— To Grow
Kia Whakatututkitanga
It is recognising and celebrating individual and community achievements, big and small, with pride.
I do my best to reach my own personal excellence
I am successful, motivated, and engaged
I can recognise success in myself and others
— To Achieve
A curriculum of two halves
Our learning areas
These are what you may have called “subjects” in your days at school and, as part of the New Zealand Curriculum, are areas of learning taught in all schools. We create and use our own local focus areas, contexts, and approaches.
Our life skills
Built around our school vision, these are the life skills we want to grow in our learners for school and life to help them be successful. These are taught, modeled, and celebrated like the learning areas.
Our main approaches to teaching and learning
Essential Learning
Our curriculum provides for a strong early foundation on Literacy (Reading and Writing) and Mathematics. These also provide the tools for learning in all other areas. Learners and teachers work together to understand what they are learning, what they need to work on next, and the progress they are making.
Supporting Learners with Additional Needs
The school invests significantly in staff, training, and resources to support children with additional needs. This helps us to create programs and use approaches that can better support these children and their classmates.
Discovery learning
We teach the other learning areas through our discovery learning approach, learning through real-world contexts and problems using discovery, inquiry, and exploration. The aim is to make learning deep, meaningful, relevant, challenging, hands-on - and lots of fun!
Values and PB4L
Everything the school does is based on our School Vision
We are a proud PB4L (Positive Behaviour For Learning) school. PB4L supports us to develop and embrace a school-wide focus on promoting positive behavior and creating inclusive learning environments. PB4L is built on the principles that we need to teach, reinforce, and reward the behaviors we want to see and manage inappropriate behavior in consistent ways that help children own it, fix it, and learn from it.
Collaborative teaching and learning
We work collaboratively as teachers and learners.. This means we talk about how all the learners in school are doing, discuss how we can better meet their needs, develop plans for action together, and work together in different ways. We take a whole school approach to for the benefit of yoru child
Te Ao Maaori
Te Ao Maaori and everyday classroom programmes are how we help all our children understand and enjoy Maaori culture, te reo, arts, stories and activities. Each year we spend time at our local marae, Te Papa-o-Rotu, learning more of its importance, tikanga, stories and whakapapa. We have a strong kapa haka programme in place too.
Music, sports and clubs
We offer other learning opportunities in school outside of our everyday curriculum. We currently have a number of sports teams, kapa haka, singing club, craft club, music lessons (guitar, violin, piano, drums) and more.
Digital technologies
We use technology as a tool for learning. We use a range of iPads, Chromebooks, tablets and laptops and use different applications within classes to support, engage and challenge learners.
Physical activity and adventure
Children complete regular energizers through the day to refresh brains ready for learning and they enjoy learning a range of physical activities. We have created an environment that encourages adventure and creative play. Children enjoy different outdoor education experiences that provide exciting and challenging opportunities.Our older students compete against other local schools in a wide range of sports.
