The Year That Was 2024

THAT

WAS

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2024

THAT WAS

WHAU VALLEY SCHOOL

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024 saw continued exponential roll growth at school with the Ministry of Education implementing an enrolment zone in Term 3 to control numbers. A school wide focus on whanaungatanga, building positive relationships as our core focus has seen many whanau wanting to send their tamariki to Whau Valley. Whanau and community support have made for many successful school events this year successful including our Fun Run, Wheels Day, Matariki Celebrations, School Disco, Pink Shirt Day, Jumping June, Whanau Days, Beach and Park excursions, Museum trips and other wonderful activities taking place. We also attended the Taniwha Captain’s Run at Toll Stadium, sent some aspiring writers to Hurupaki School for an authors workshop and to the Hundertwasser Art Museum to work with a local Ngapuhi artist.

We have been very fortunate to be supported by some fantastic volunteers who come in to read with tamariki, run things such as a woodwork shop and also support tamariki with sport and wellbeing.

Our tamariki love the additional activities and having these wonderful people

working with them. This year a PTA has been re-established to support things such as fundraising and other events, with an enthusiastic group of parents stepping up to lead this. We look forward to seeing what they bring to our school in 2025.

Whau Valley School is an Enviro-School and we have some awesome educational programmes at school. Tahi Honey runs the honey programme with students working with the hives, learning about bees and honey production and providing honey for the school each year. We also became a ‘Trees for Survival’ school in 2024, with the school raising native seedlings with the intention of us then supporting local community planting projects as they become bigger. School gardens are our next step for the coming year.

Our biggest celebration this year is seeing the fruition of our ‘Te Pakau’ unit which is a specialist classroom and additional sensory room, which supports an ever increasing number of Neuro Diverse students. Currently the school has around twelve students who receive additional funding support so the decision was made to change the way we do things and better

support our students and their whanau. A specialist teacher and teacher aide manage the classroom, with students and support staff moving between the class and their main class each day. Next year will see more space created for our new Foundation Room, ‘Te Rito’ which will support the transition of our new arrivals into the junior school. Our local ECE’s visit each week with their tamariki and we have recently created a network with contributing ECE’s, to support and enhance our transition into school process.

Our bilingual classes continue to grow in popularity with our three classes currently operating across five year levels, and class numbers regularly at capacity. Their knowledge and expertise supports the rest of the school with the level and confidence of Te Reo being used across school growing daily. We promote a tuakana/teina model within school, with our senior students supporting our juniors and leading by example. Our kapa haka roopu is a school taonga and is consistently a highlight whenever they perform.

The school, which is now over 100 years old, has seen ongoing building

projects undertaken, with upgrades to our specialist toilets, modernisation of teaching spaces and rooms, as well as extensive engineering and earthworks to alleviate flooding issues. We look forward to seeing these upgrades continue around the school, providing a welcoming and caring environment. New play court areas are providing some fantastic play opportunities, a new playground/swing area has been developed and we plan to develop our native plantation area with a nature playground that links in with our cycle track.

What we do provide at Whau Valley School is an inclusive learning environment that caters for many diverse needs. The school is Trauma-Informed so has, and continues to build knowledge and understanding around the needs of our learners and whanau.

Implementing and developing knowledge in areas such as Restorative-Practice, NeuroScience and Brain Development, assist us in understanding and supporting complex needs. Our school vision - Kia Ako Tahi, Kia Tupu Tahi, Learning as One, Growing Together as One, lays the path ahead to continue to support all tamariki and whanau who enter our school.

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Thursday, November 28, 2024

THAT WAS Contents 2

Whau Valley School

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Huanui College

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Onerahi Primary School

6

Ruakākā School

7

Tauraroa Area School

8

Raurimu Avenue School

9

Hurapaki School

10

Manaia View School

11

Dargaville High School

12

Taipa Area School

13

Kaitaia Primary School

14

Kaiwaka School

15

Renew School

16

Broadwood Area School

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Thursday, November 28, 2024

THAT WAS HUANUI COLLEGE

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024 was a year of cultural community celebration for Huanui College students, staff and whānau, this focus no doubt relating to the College’s resilient focus on Te Whare Tapa Whā. From The Cantabile Choir to the annual Whānau Singing Competition, Kapa Haka to Troy Kingi mentoring our young musicians, Sheilah Winn Shakespeare to Oliver! the musical, and student bands Basement and AWOL’s performances, Huanui has been striking all the major chords. Between the Duke of Edinburgh, The Hope Project, Run for Life and Surf Lifesaving, Huanuians held a strong, faithful and benevolent presence beyond the verdant orchids and stone fences of Glenbervie as kaitiaki o te whenua. Highlights from a successful sporting year include the undeniable success of the Clay Target Shooting, netball, hockey, and basketball teams, as well as individual student successes in motocross, hip hop, equestrian, and tennis. This year, Huanui celebrated the Olympics in style with Olympic-themed lessons and an extremely competitive yet fun mud run at the College. It is the belief of Principal Philip Coombe that these activities are not just about participating and being engaged, it is about the feeling of connection with the College and its core values. He states, “In an AI-enhanced school, teachers play a pivotal role in fostering a learning environment that values emotional connections, collaboration, and social interaction.” It is this thriving cultural academic environment that constitutes the Huanui Experience.

Huanui College’s Alumni network is flourishing thanks to student opportunities created by the Whanaungatanga Prefect and Alumni President with further possibilities for connection on the horizon for 2025. Academically, the tone of the school has been positive as student leaders invoke the sustainable mentality of lifelong learners through the studentrun peer tutoring program. The College continues to produce good academic results with its robust academic programme and high expectations. Huanui College has undertaken an independent survey this year to provide a focus and opportunity to improve the overall effectiveness of the College.

Highlights are that Huanui is doing well to deliver great academic results, there is a sense of pride in being part of the school community, and there is a belief that we are growing in character. Huanui College’s international profile has expanded as we welcome new teachers and students from around the globe for 2025, a bittersweet exchange as we farewell retiring staff members including Fi Boorer, foundation staff member. Keeping wellbeing intentions local, staff were immersed in weekly Te Reo Māori classes and the neighbouring gym together. Finally, Huanui launched two new editions of The Huanuian, the College magazine celebrating students, staff and alumni exploring extraordinary achievements and experiences, ongoing evidence of Huanui College striving to support the growth of good citizens through positive education.

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Thursday, November 28, 2024

THAT WAS ONERAHI SCHOOL

H

ow to capture a year of learning at Onerahi School in one article?

That feels nearly impossible without resorting to a series of brief bullet points. Instead we would like to dive a bit deeper into two aspects of our school that connected with us this year: our new waharoa and the many adventures we had outside our school grounds.

Nau Mai, Haere Mai This year we welcomed a new waharoa (entranceway) to our kura. It was designed

by Mike Tupaea and his diverse team of artists, designers, and engineers. In a dawn ceremony surrounded by community members and filled with karakia and waiata, our kura accepted responsibility for the care of this beautiful taonga (treasure). We would like to acknowledge our kaumatua Fred Tito for sharing his time and energy with us, ensuring correct tikanga was followed.

Our waharoa is full of imagery and meaning.

Firstly, the image of four fish scales, each representing different elements of our environment. Three scales for the moana, whenua, and creatures that live within those

environments. The fourth scale is us. A line connects each element and highlights our important role as kaitiaki (guardians). The imagery of scales also calls to the idea of protection.

Flanking each side as you walk through the archway are mangōpare (hammerhead sharks). They represent resilience, perseverance, and overcoming. As Mike Tupaea said during our morning ceremony, “Don’t be like the octopus that gives up and dies, be like the hammerhead shark that fights to the last breath.”

The kape pattern (curved like an eyebrow) represents maramataka and the phases of the moon. The idea that life is made up of seasons and cycles. This element ensures that no matter the season you are connected and strengthened as you walk through. An image of kukupa (New Zealand pigeon) is facing to the school. It symbolises the rangatira of Te Parawhau watching over us.

There are many other aspects of this design to unpack and our new waharoa is a perfect tool for learning, a beacon calling people

to our kura, and a source of pride to our learning community.

Exploring the Local Whenua We value making connections within our local area and each class has taken a wide range of adventures out of school this year.

One example of this is our Year 3 and 4 students who regularly visited Jeremy at Dragonfly Springs as part of their learning each week. We could have a whole other article on the powerful impact learning through nature provides but that is for another time. If you have never had the pleasure of visiting Dragonfly Springs, it is a sprawling piece of wetlands conveniently located down the end of Ramati Crescent (behind our kura). Through their time at Dragonfly Springs an idea began to form…

their decision making. As you can tell this whole process was filled with rich learning opportunities and provided tamariki with a real say in the running of the school.

The event itself was a huge success with students pushing themselves, and our values (manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, and manawa reka) on full display. We also had a small group of senior students supporting as marshals who showed nothing but manaakitanga for the competitors. The team has already begun making tweaks for next year’s event based on feedback and reflection. This is just one example of how our tamariki help grow our school.

Tamariki set about developing a cross country course that would weave its way through this beautiful space. Working with Jeremy they ensured there were obstacles galore and, the key ingredient to a great course, mud! They designed signs that guided runners around the track and explored measurement to support

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Thursday, November 28, 2024

THAT WAS RUAKĀKĀ SCHOOL This year we have focussed on moving to our new classrooms, preparing to move into our new Admin area and staffroom and upgrading our playspaces. We currently have around 340 tamariki.

New playspaces Our main playground had reached the end of its life. We are excited to have ordered a new playground which will be installed under our vibrant new shade sails early next year. In the interim, we bought 2 new smaller playgrounds which our tamariki are really enjoying.

As Guyco comes to the end of the new build part of our project, they will prepare the base for a basketball/netball/tennis artificial turf which will provide an all weather sports surface. This will be installed in 2025.

Bike track upgrade Since our tamariki are unable to ride their bikes to school given our position next to SH1, our tamariki love our bike track - it is a great way for them to burn energy and stay fit! We are really fortunate to have the support of Sport Northland who came out to service our bikes and also ran a workshop for kaiako to teach staff some fun ways to use bikes as part of their PE teaching programme.This year we gained funding from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency’s BikeReady.programme to upgrade our bike track. This work is currently being quoted and work will begin in 2025.

Our amazing kaimahi We are proud to have a staff who love their

jobs and work together to create the positive, fun learning environment that is summed up by our SHINE values. Our Principal Helen Kinsey-Wightman has been here for 18 months and continues to love the challenge and diversity of her job!

Food in Schools Our talented Food in Schools staff provide free healthy lunches to all tamariki through the Ka ora: Ka ako programme. Our children love the range of healthy lunches and our parents love the fact they can start the day without the stress of creating lunchboxes.

This programme is guaranteed for 2025.

Our current government have committed to cutting the budget to $4 per child in 2026 we are currently thinking through what we will be able to provide for this amount of funding.

Bus services In the past when we ask for feedback from whānau, bus concerns often come top of the list. We have worked hard with Easybus (the Ministry of Education bus service providers) to improve our bus service. We have gone from 3 to 5 buses which has meant buses are less crowded. We have installed video cameras on one of our buses as a trial to improve safety - initial signs are good.

Te Pā Harakeke - Māori immersion classrooms This year 5 classes with 100 tamariki moved to our new classrooms. We were privileged to have so many community members at our

Dawn blessing. Ngā mihi nui ki a Patuharakeke - we are privileged to have a relationship embodied by manaakitanga with mana whenua. Kaiako are continuing to settle in and enjoy being together in a shared space that allows them to work together more closely.

Technology This year we have continued to invest in Chromebooks and Activboards in our classrooms so that our kaiako can use technology for learning without whānau needing to purchase devices as we know that can have many wider implications for family life.

Show Day Although we have grown, we are still a rural school at heart and Show Day is a great opportunity for children to demonstrate their lamb, calf and goat handling skills. Everyone loves the other traditional challenges of creating decorations, sand saucers and flower arrangements that many of our grandparents might remember from their school days.We appreciate how many of our whānau come out to support.

Matariki We greatly appreciate Waipu School who hosted the Matariki Festival this year. We were so proud to share the stage with Kapa Haka Roopū from local Early Childhood Centres, Waipu, One Tree Point Schools. It is wonderful for all our children to see Bream Bay College perform as this builds their aspirations for the future.

Garden to Table Garden to Table is still going strong. Our G2T

staff has led our classes to keep the gardens looking amazing and our chefs have been using the ingredients to create dishes from around the world.

Lion King and Roar!

Our production was amazing! We were blown away by the confident performances and the incredible showmanship and involvement of staff and tamariki. The show was performed over 3 days/nights with our evening shows sold out!

SHINE Leaders This year our SHINE leaders have been: Piroa: Isla Jones and Eden Tuck Taranga: Brendan Shandil & Nui Paikea-Tarau Te Whara: Millah Wells & Harper Martin Manaia: Narlah Hurihanganui & Stevie-Ray Peters Pukekauri: Eden Jakobs & Paige Cave These wonderful Year 6 tuakana have been inspiring role models for our teina. We know that as they head off to Year 7 they have leadership skills that will set them up for a bright, shiny future!

Out of Zone enrolments available for 2025 We have around 10 places still available to whānau who are not in our zone for 2025.

Please enquire at the school office.

As it says on my door: Mā tou rourou, mā toku rourou ka puawai te kura. With your resources and my resources the kura will flourish!

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Thursday, November 28, 2024

THAT WAS TAURAROA AREA SCHOOL

Tauraroa Area School has enjoyed a very successful 2024 Our school of over 400 Year 0-13 students has experienced many successes in 2024.

Our committed, professional staff; great facilities; quiet, rural location and friendly students all contribute to a successful formula. Highlights of 2024 include: • A very positive ERO review (www. https://ero.govt.nz/institution/12/ tauraroa-area-school ) • High value university scholarships won by senior students • Sporting success (particularly basketball, golf and clay target shooting) • Property development - new carparks and bus bays; refurbished art department; the construction of 7 new classrooms about to get underway • Major competition successes in NZ Spelling Bee, debating, chess and Science Fair • Strong performing arts - especially music, drama and kapa haka

• Duke of Edinburgh Hillary Award Scheme • Trades Academies and Gateway work placements - leading directly to job offers and apprenticeships • Country Day • Outdoor education opportunities • Hosting international students • Student leadership opportunities Offering students the chance to complete their primary, intermediate and secondary schooling in a single school, Tauraroa Area School offers a seamless transition between primary, intermediate and secondary year levels.

Students at TAS enjoy the many benefits of belonging to a smaller school community, while having access to a full range of subjects through Kotui Ako online learning.

Grant Burns Tumuaki / Principal 2024 Highlights included:

various school events this year, with a wide range of amazing work being produced at all year levels. The renovation of our art rooms (currently underway) will further boost this important part of the school.

Drama Students have enjoyed a wide range of opportunities, performing in the Te Tai Tokerau schools Shakespeare festival, Showquest and within-school performances. The school is now beginning preparations for a stage production of Legally Blonde, to be staged at Forum North in June next year.

Hard Materials 2024 Our students have completed a wide range of outstanding projects this year, with the new laser cutter put to great use in many of them. We proudly continued our initiative to build and supply 15 picnic tables for TAS and surrounding schools, with our Year 12 students managing this project.

Futurebuild LVL in Marsden Point and NorthPine in Waipu generously provided materials, allowing our students to bring their ideas to life.

Music TAS has a well-earned reputation for its music programme. This year saw a record number of ensembles - jazz, funk and rock bands and senior choir. Our groups performed at many schools across the district, Whangarei Jazz Club and the Bay of Islands Jazz and Blues Festival.

Art An exhibition at Reyburn House Art Gallery in Whangarei, showcased our students’ artworks for a month as part of Whangarei’s Matariki festivities. This event allowed our students to engage with the local art scene and share their creativity with a wider audience, with five students’ works being sold.

Inspired by our Head of Art, Carolyn Evans, student work has featured prominently at

Tauraroa Area School offers a friendly, welcoming environment for Years 1 -13. We have small class sizes, great facilities, and a wide subject range with top NCEA results. There’s also plenty of sports, clubs, music and arts for your child to take part in, outdoor education and trades courses; all within a beautiful rural environment.

2024 Head student Jack Riley with principal, Grant Burns and deputy head students Charlotte Dutton and Brooke Morgan

P: 09 432 2643 | E: general@tauraroa.school.nz

www.tauraroa.school.nz

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Thursday, November 28, 2024

THAT WAS

RAURIMU AVENUE SCHOOL From the breakfast club re-opening, serving up a kai and a kōrero to kick start the day for learning, to learning our new school song ‘The Raurimu Way’, Raurimu Avenue School has had a busy year! Pink Shirt Day coincided perfectly with the school-wide learning topic about friendships, while Road Safety Week promoted our students’ art design that was printed on t-shirts and worn by many road safety heroes. We also had a visit from the children’s show What Now and had fun spraying our tamariki with foam, while Eruera and Cheque battled it out on the quiz mat.

We have especially focused on well-being this year to support students’ learning and reinforce our school culture of CARE (Creative learners, Always kind, Respect ourselves, others, and the environment, Everyone matters). There have been some awesome kaupapa come through our school that have helped us to embrace new ways of thinking and being, and enhance ākonga well-being. Youth mentors Matua Herb and Matua Matt from Tuakana Teina Kaiārahi (TTK) have shared their multiple talents and wisdom and have supported our senior students with the Physical Activity

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Leaders (PAL) programme. We noticed our tamariki take the mentors’ teachings and apply them on their own to keep the positive going. Meanwhile, Mana ake and Te Hauora o Ngāpuhi kaimahi, Rueben Milner, has graced us with his extraordinary presence and spent time building relationships with ākonga with the intent to ensure every student has a smile on their dial.

in the previous years, we welcomed Whaea Celia into her new role as the Tumuaki of Raurimu Avenue School. With new directions on the horizon, the future for ākonga is looking bright, bilingual, and full of promise.

Mauri ora!

As we said goodbye to Matua Moutini, thanking him for his service as Principal

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THAT WAS

HURUPAKI SCHOOL

Hurupaki School Thrives in 2024: A Year of Achievements and Adventures

The 2024 school year at Hurupaki School was an exciting journey filled with learning, growth, and unforgettable experiences for students and staff.

New Spaces and Exciting Developments A highlight of the year was the opening of a brand-new classroom. This modern learning space provided students with an enhanced learning environment. The school community celebrated this milestone, acknowledging the hard work and planning that went into its creation. Next year we will look to further develop the garden area, introducing a “Garden to Table” programme, constructing a new jetty in the wetlands, and adding murals to brighten up the school.

Epro8 and Robotics: Sparking Innovation and Problem-Solving Hurupaki School embraced technology as a tool for fostering innovation and critical thinking. Students enthusiastically participated in the Epro8 Challenge, a competition that encouraged teamwork, engineering skills, and creative problemsolving. One team’s dedication and ingenuity led them to victory, winning the regional Epro8 finals. This achievement reflects the school’s commitment to providing opportunities for students to excel in STEM fields. The Robotics team further enriched the learning experience by introducing junior students to coding and robotics.

Celebrating Māori Culture and the School’s First Kapa Haka Festival 2024 was a momentous year for Kapa Haka here at Hurupaki, with the Ngahau rōpū performing at numerous festivals.

The establishment of the school’s first competitive Kapa Haka rōpū, Te Kapa o Hurupaki, was a significant achievement.

Their dedication to learning and perfecting their bracket, which included waiata composed by Matua Hōrihi based on local hapū Ngāti Kahu o Torongare stories, led them to an impressive second-place finish at the Te Mana Kuratahi Kapa Haka Regionals. Teina, one of the kaitātaki tane, also achieved individual recognition, placing third overall. The entire school community celebrated their success, recognizing the hard work, talent, and pride they displayed.

Adding to the year’s cultural highlights, Hurupaki School hosted its inaugural Kapa Haka festival, “Te Āhuareka o Te Kamo,” welcoming ten schools to share in the celebration of Māori and Pasifika culture. The festival fostered connections and provided a platform for tamariki and whānau to connect, perform, and celebrate their cultural heritage. The event was a resounding success, filled with vibrant performances, delicious kai, and a strong sense of community.

Engaging Activities and Unforgettable Events Hurupaki School’s calendar was packed with a diverse range of activities and

events that fostered student participation and created lasting memories. “The Zany Zoo” production brought the school community together, showcasing students’ musical and dramatic talents. The colourful costumes, creative backdrops, and enthusiastic performances made “The Zany Zoo” an unforgettable experience for both participants and the audience.

The annual swimming sports day was a highly anticipated event, with students competing in freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke, and top performers advancing to the interschool competition. The school triathlon provided a chance for students to challenge themselves in swimming, cycling, and running. DIP Time, or “Dive Into Passions,” allowed students to explore areas of interest beyond the traditional curriculum, including cooking, makerspace, and environmental activities. Student Wellbeing Week emphasized the importance of mental and emotional health, featuring activities like a lunchtime disco, planting in the wetlands, and games organized by the PAL (Physical Activity Leaders). Whānau Day celebrated the school’s strong partnership with families, offering cultural activities such as flax weaving, Chinese paper cutting, and kite making.

Sporting events were also a highlight of the year. The school cross country saw students tackling challenging courses and supporting each other with cheers. Winter sports provided opportunities for friendly competition against other Whangarei

schools in hockey, netball, football, table tennis, and Rippa rugby. The Year 5 and 6 girls’ touch tournament was a particularly exciting event, fostering teamwork and building confidence among the participants.

The HPS News Crew, a student-led initiative, provided another avenue for leadership, with students learning about interviewing, scriptwriting, and video editing. Their videos became a popular feature of the morning notices, keeping the school community informed about upcoming events and celebrating school achievements.

The 2024 school year was a testament to the dedication of the staff, the enthusiasm of the students, and the strong support of the Hurupaki School community. With a focus on academic excellence, cultural enrichment, student wellbeing, and community engagement, Hurupaki School provided a nurturing and stimulating environment where students thrived. The school looks forward to building on the successes of this year and to continuing its tradition of providing quality education and fostering a love of learning in the years to come.

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Thursday, November 28, 2024

THAT WAS MANAIA VIEW SCHOOL 2024

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t Manaia View School, we’re all about creating opportunities that inspire, engage, and extend our students. Our mission is clear: to raise student achievement while fostering a love of learning through innovative and enriching experiences.

Manaia View School proudly celebrates its rich Māori heritage, which is an important aspect of our identity. Whanaungatanga and a sense of belonging are nurtured in every classroom. Our learning programmes are grounded in Te Parawhautanga. Daily taumata and kapa haka further strengthen our cultural foundations.

2024 has seen significant school-wide improvements. Our junior classrooms have been transformed into vibrant, modern learning environments. Students and teachers are enjoying learning in their improved spaces.

2024 provided a range of sporting opportunities for students, including Ki o Rahi, volleyball and touch. Our “Pools in School” swimming pool also returned in Term 1, providing vital water safety and swimming lessons. Thanks to generous support from community sporting specialists, students engaged in a range of in-class sports and afterschool activities through our “Community Connect” programmes.

Intermediate students enjoyed a range of leadership opportunities as they prepared for secondary school. From technology lessons and school camps to surfing and snorkelling, these experiences built confidence and resilience. Our partnership with Te Ora Hou further supported students during their transition to high school.

Our commitment to sustainability continued with the Raumanga Community Garden project and the development of our own school gardens.

These gardens supply fresh produce for our Garden to Table programme, where students learn to cook using ingredients they’ve grown and harvested themselves. This programme has been further strengthened by our Bee Friends programme, working with our school hives under the guidance of Tahi Honey.

At Manaia View School, we are passionate about academic excellence, student confidence, and wellbeing. We’re proud of our students’ achievements and the positive energy they bring to their learning. As we look to a new school year, we warmly welcome all new and returning students to continue their journey toward becoming confident, successful 21stcentury learners.

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THAT WAS

DARGAVILLE HIGH SCHOOL

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024 has been a year of looking to the future at Dargaville High school, the school has welcomed new senior leadership team members and are currently in the process of transitioning to new school house names to establish stronger connections between students and houses.

With a student body of over 60% of students who identify as Maori, our dedicated vertical kaupapa Maori class has been thriving during 2024. This class supports the many students to live and learn in a full time learning programme that delivers the NZ curriculum through a Maori lens. This year, students in the Nga Uri a Tane class, along with other committed students to the Kapa Haka roopu participated in the annual Te Tai Tokerau Festival and other distinguished events throughout the Te Tai Tokerau area.

2024 saw the Fia Fia Night extravaganza return to the school hall stage. This event is a highlight of the school and community’s calendar, this year an invitation went out to other schools in the Kaipara area to participate. Traditional pacific island dances were performed by many students from the local primary schools all the up to our senior students. Students are able to use these performances to gain NZQA credits towards their National Educational Achievement Certificate.

Students who excel in drama and music were encouraged to participate in other co-curricular activities such as the highly successful Showquest competition. Dargaville High school has entered teams into this event for many years with success at most shows. This year our entry titled ‘I Wanna Know What Love Is, won First Place in the senior section along with being presented with awards for Show quest School Spirit, ZM Soundtrack Award, Best

Styling, Best Props, Best Video wall and Highly Commended Lighting. Well done to all students and staff involved in bringing a show like this together.

Every year our senior service academies have gone from strength to strength, this year our Building Academy has hosted 12 senior students. This academy is run by qualified builders who support students to learn the base skills of carpentry while building transportable houses for Kainga Ora and gaining theory and practical credits towards National Trade Certificates and NCEA accreditation.

The sport department, led by our HOD of Sport and Sports Coordinator along with our senior student house leaders. These students are the driving force, with support from teachers, in running in school competitions in a variety of sports between houses and the highly anticipated student’s vs staff encounters. 2024 saw the return of Rugby League at Dargaville High School with a dedicated group of both senior and juniors eager to improve their skills.

Other successful team sports such as Volleyball, netball and rugby sevens have continued to be popular with students competing in competitions locally and nationally. We have also had students excel in sports outside of school such as powerlifting, surf lifesaving rescue, netball and swimming.

Along with these amazing achievements, the student body has supported many fundraising efforts throughout the year including Pink Shirt Day, Daffodil Day If anyone in the Kaipara area is looking at options for secondary schools in the Kaipara area, make sure you contact the school office to make an appointment to visit the school and see what we have to offer your whānau.

THAT WAS

A

s 2024 draws to a close, Taipa Area School reflects on an exceptional year of achievements, celebrating the hard work of students, staff, and the wider community. Guided by our school vision, “Kia ngā tahi te hoe kia whakatere ki uta”—Navigate together for success—and our core values of manaakitanga, painga, and mahitahi, the school has thrived across a range of academic, cultural, and sporting endeavours.

Cultural Connection and Creativity This year saw the continuation of the Tai Orooro Tai Auaha wananga series, integrating Ngā Toi Māori (Māori Arts) into the learning journey for both Māori and non-Māori students. From raranga (weaving) to taonga pūoro (traditional Māori instruments), and mau rākau (weaponry) to whakairo (carving), students explored their cultural heritage through hands-on experiences guided by renowned practitioners. The initiative fostered pride in identity and reflected manaakitanga as the school embraced diverse traditions within a supportive environment.

Two waka wananga at Aurere, in partnership with the Te Kupe Waka Center, further highlighted the school’s commitment to kaitiakitanga. These events deepened students’ understanding of traditional navigation and connection to the whenua and moana.

Academic Excellence and Innovation Taipa Area School students excelled academically this year, showcasing their talents at the Top Energy Far North Science and Technology Fair. The success of our students, particularly those who secured gold awards and special prizes, exemplified painga in action.

Students investigated topics ranging from the environmental safety of school water supplies to innovative renewable energy applications.

Our partnership with Otago University’s outreach program provided unique learning opportunities. Students explored renewable energy sources and cutting-edge technology, sparking curiosity and fostering a love for science.

Nurturing Entrepreneurs and Future Leaders The school celebrated entrepreneurial spirit with three students making it to the regional finals of the Young Enterprise Scheme (YES). The resilience and innovative thinking of our young entrepreneurs earned them nine nominations and prestigious awards, underscoring our commitment to fostering leadership and creativity.

Additionally, the school’s Gateway program prepared students for life beyond the classroom, with over 50 students gaining real-world experience across industries

TAIPA AREA SCHOOL 2024 such as aviation, healthcare, and trades.

Their accomplishments reflected the value of mahitahi as students worked alongside mentors and industry professionals to achieve their goals.

Sporting Achievements Sporting success was another highlight of 2024. At the National Area Schools Tournament, 24 students represented Taipa Area School, with an impressive 14 earning places in national teams. Whether in netball, rugby, football, volleyball, or basketball, students demonstrated painga by excelling at the highest levels.

The school also celebrated the revival of Ki-o-rahi, a traditional Māori sport, with the installation of seven pou representing significant Ngāti Kahu maunga. This initiative, led by dedicated staff and community members, fostered mahitahi by bringing students and teachers together in friendly competition and cultural pride.

Celebrating Our Community This year, the school embraced opportunities to strengthen relationships within our community.

The highlight was a 19-day trip to Hawaii for the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, where students proudly represented Aotearoa as the only school from New Zealand to participate.

Workshops on Māori traditions such as kapa haka and taonga pūoro showcased the beauty of our culture on an international stage, embodying manaakitanga and painga.

Back home, the unveiling of the pou at our Papa Tākaro was a heartfelt celebration of Ngāti Kahu identity and community collaboration.

These enduring symbols of our heritage remind us of the importance of whakapapa and the shared journey we undertake as a school.

Looking Ahead As we reflect on 2024, the achievements of our students and staff stand as a testament to the strength of our vision and values. Whether through academic, cultural, or sporting successes, Taipa Area School has continued to navigate together for success, fostering a community that values inclusivity, excellence, and collaboration.

The future looks bright as we build on these accomplishments, aiming to provide even more opportunities for our students to thrive and contribute positively to the world around them.

This year has been a celebration of what makes Taipa Area School a truly special place to learn, grow, and achieve together.

Ngā mihi nui to everyone who has supported us this year—your commitment and aroha have made all of this possible. We look forward to continuing this incredible journey together in 2025.

www.northernadvocate.co.nz 13

Thursday, November 28, 2024

THAT WAS KAITAIA PRIMARY SCHOOL

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024 has been a year of celebration and milestones here at KPS and we have a very important milestone coming up in April 2025 when our school will celebrate 150 years of being open for learning. This year has been all about preparing for that upcoming celebration. Our children throughout the school have been learning about local histories and have been creating items they can share at our school prizegiving ceremony as well as at the KPS150 event next April 7th-10th. Some of our classes even went on camp to visit an historic village to help our tamariki get a sense of what school was like over 100 years ago.

We have had great support from our wider community with whanau sharing old photos and stories from the past. We are also creating digital content which we’ll be sharing with any locally based groups who would like to use it in their organisation in the future. Our school environment will feature new history panels and an amazing new mural showing important parts of our school and community history.

Registrations for the Kaitaia Primary School 150th Jubilee can be found on our school website and on our Facebook page: www.kaitaiaprimary.school.nz www.facebook.com/kaitaiaprimary From all the staff and Board at Kaitaia Primary School, we’d like to thank everyone who has been part of our learning journey this year. Your awhi (support) and manaakitanga (caring) has inspired our tamariki to learn more and to keep trying, no matter what. We wish you all a safe and happy Christmas holiday and we wish all our students moving on, all the best for the future.

Nga mihi Mr M

Residential | Industrial Commercial Service & Maintenance Air Conditioning | Solar Power

(09) 408-1450 34 Matthews Ave, Kaitaia kaitaia@laserelectrical.co.nz

THAT WAS KAIWAKA SCHOOL Celebrating Kaiwaka School’s Year of Growth and Achievement

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aiwaka School has much to celebrate as 2024 draws to a close. This year has been one of embracing new challenges, strengthening existing programs, and fostering a vibrant learning environment for all students.

**A Year of Curriculum Enhancement and Teacher Development** This year has been an exciting journey for our school as we embraced the refreshed curriculum, and we couldn’t be prouder of our dedicated and adaptable teaching staff!

Our junior school teachers crafted fantastic termly overviews for their math units, while our senior school teachers brought the “Maths Aotearoa” resources to life in engaging ways. We’re also thrilled about our commitment to professional development this year!

Literacy continues to be a central focus for us, and our teachers have engaged in professional development around Russell Bishop’s “Teaching to the North East” approach. This method highlights the importance of building strong relationships to support our literacy goals. Our structured literacy programs, like “The Code” for spelling in the senior school and BSLA in the junior school, show our dedication to evidence-based practices. Plus, we’ve implemented helpful interventions such as Reading Recovery and support groups to offer targeted assistance to students who need it. **Thriving in Collaboration and Shared Learning** We’ve had so much fun being part of Kahui Ako, a wonderful network of schools that has enriched the experiences of both our teachers and students. By working together, we’ve gathered valuable insights into trends and areas where we can grow, which has made us even better at what we do. These partnerships show just how committed we are to continuous growth and shared learning.

**Embracing Te Reo Māori and Cultural Enrichment** One of the year’s highlights was our vibrant celebration of Matariki, which allowed all of our students to connect with the beauty of te reo Māori and Māori culture. This school-wide focus was a fantastic opportunity for students to explore the significance of the Matariki constellation and the stories behind the nine stars. Each classroom dove into a specific star, fostering deeper understanding and engagement. We were fortunate to have Dr. Lisa Watson, a te reo Māori specialist, share her expertise with us, helping to introduce new resources to inspire our te reo teaching. In the junior school, we restructured our te reo groups to focus on vocabulary in the younger years and move on to sentence construction as students grow. It’s a thoughtful approach that we believe will nurture their language skills. The senior school’s noho at Otamatea marae was an unforgettable experience, giving students an immersive taste of Māori traditions and values. **Nurturing Well-being and Inclusive Support** At Kaiwaka School, student well-being is a top priority! Our Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) framework helps us create a caring and supportive environment. We regularly review our strategies to make sure they’re meeting our students’ needs effectively. Our amazing SENCO (Special Education Needs Coordinator) and their dedicated team play a vital role in providing personalized support to students with additional learning needs. **Celebrating Achievements in Sports and the Arts** Our students have truly shone in various sporting and artistic activities this year!

The senior school’s swimming sports were a blast, promoting fun and friendly competition among everyone. Our

competitive swimmers proudly represented the school at the zone swimming sports at Bream Bay College, showcasing their talent and sportsmanship. Thanks to a pilot program with Sport Northland Swim Safe, our teachers have gained important water safety skills, making sure all students participated in three swimming lessons over three weeks. Sport Northland also provided great professional development on including movement in our daily schedules, making our lessons even more engaging.

Despite a few resource challenges, we

made sure to purchase new soccer, rugby, netball, and basketball equipment for our physical education lessons, ensuring our students have the tools they need to succeed. Our cross-country runners trained hard and represented the school at the Bream Bay zone crosscountry, demonstrating their effort and determination. To finish the year the Year 5 and 6 students had a wonderful camp where they built their skills in EOTC. What a great year it has been!

THAT WAS

RENEW SCHOOL

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ēnā tātou katoa. Hōnore ki te Atua.

Kororia ki te Atua. We are grateful to God for a blessed year at Renew School. He has enabled us to take steps toward accomplishing our vision of telling God’s story through STEAM. We have been able to make progress in discipling and training our students with the focus of impacting society for the Kingdom of God. At Renew School, we value the Word of God, the presence of God, people, authenticity, creativity, and excellence. This year we have changed our timetable to ensure our secondary students have time to practise ‘walking the talk’ as recommended in James 2:17. Two days were set aside each term for our whānau groups, called rākau, to develop whanaungatanga and manaakitanga. Students got to enjoy everything Adrenalin Park had to offer, an orienteering day at Barge Park, a Sports’ Day at McKay Stadium, a swimming challenge at the Whangārei Aquatic Centre, a moviemaking day at school, and our annual Athletics Day. As an Enviroschool we are inspired by God’s mandate to be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, and, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth. Our students have continued

to develop kaitiakitanga by being waste wise, trapping pests around our property, and monitoring the life and change of dunes near Waipu Cove (an annual occurrence for our senior students).

Science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics give our students skills to tell God’s story. Our students have practised using some of these skills by their participation in the EPro 8 and Mathex Challenges, the Central Northland Science Fair and being part of our secondary and primary drama productions.

We are proud of our students’ success at these events. As a school that is embracing the assessment for learning pedagogical framework, we are learning what it means to be creative learners through STEAM. We are excited about being able to launch a primary kapa haka group this year, and restarting our Duke of Edinburgh Hillary Award, with 5 students achieving the bronze certification. Our students have also participated in a variety of sports tournaments this year, and we celebrate their success in events like the Year 9-10 3x3 Basketball Tournament and the Whangārei Netball Centre’s Winter Competition.

With so much to celebrate in 2024, we cannot wait for 2025!

THAT WAS

Ko Raetea te maunga, Ko Manganuiowae te awa, Ko Te Whiringa o te Muka Tangata te whare, Ko Maria te whare kai, Ko Te Kura Takiwā o Manganuiowae te kura Onamata: reconnection and revival 2024 was a year of connecting across our rohe. We started off with returning to one of our region’s maunga whakahī, with our hīkoi to the top of Whakakoro, Whangapē during our Whakawhanaungatanga camp. It didn’t stop there, with many events over the year that strengthened our ties.

little rural school, bringing back some solid traditions of our kura and community. Some of us remember when we attended this school, when the bi-annual Form 1 and 2 trip to the snow was a highlight of the intermediate years, with the temperature gauge to show how well we were doing with our fundraising efforts taking pride of place outside the school office. Well, Matua Wikarena Wihapi and his Year 7 and 8 class have brought it back to the school calendar, with a successful trip to Taupo and the snow this year.

Whaea Catherine Semenoff-Murray and her

gateway programmes, university visits, tuakana teina engagement, academic challenges, Matariki talent quests, taiao programmes, exploring the Arts through Music and Visual arts, just to name a few (it’s been a busy year!)

Anamata It’s been a hard year without our gymnasium, but development is nearing completion on the upgrade, and we will be heading into the new year in 2025 with a beautiful multi-purpose facility.

We met as kaiako as part of our Te Manu Kawariki - Te Kahui Ako O Hokianga, with 9 kura spread out across the North and South of Hokianga engaging in our cluster, with 7 of our kura attending our 2024 Jumbo Day, focussing on our 3 Achievement Taki around whakawhanaungatanga, te ao Māori and hauora.

Primary Industries class also brought back memories and created new ones with the 2024 Pet Day. We had an amazing day with an amazing number of animals, awesome expert judges, ribbons, and a mutton chop barbeque, thanks to our local farmers. The best thing about the day, apart from the very cute animals, the possum haul and the excited kids, was the support from the community, both in sponsorship and in presence.

There will be positions for 12 lucky students from Year 11-13. It will be the first Trades Academy operating in the North Hokianga.

We will hopefully be dressed and ready for the 50th anniversary of Te Tai Tokerau Festival, hosted by Opononi Area School, where it all began, on the 9th and 10th April 2025, as plans are in place for new kākahu for our kapa haka group.

Ki-o-rahi, waka ama and rugby were other cross-kura activities that we were lucky to be a part of, with a win in our North vs South Hokianga rugby tournament in Term 3.

The Hokianga ball, hosted by Opononi Area School was another great experience that strengthened the hononga we made over the year.

2024 was also a year of nostalgia for our

Ināianei: Whakaara i te Kākano We continue to focus on our school values and strive to challenge ourselves to reach our full potential across all platforms, academically, culturally and in our health and wellness through participation in kapa haka, mau rakau, manu korero, sports, Spirit of Adventure,

We have also been working hard this year to open our Multi Trades Academy in the new year. Our Trades Academy will focus on Primary Industries - Farming, ConstructionBuilding and Hospitality-Culinary.

Hei whakakapinga, have a great break everyone, it’s been a great year, and if you are feeling the struggle, take the advice of our guest speaker at our Kāhui Ako Jumbo Day, Ken McLeay: Live the width, not just the length of your life, and if you have to eat a frog, do it first thing in the morning, and if you have to eat two, eat the biggest one first!

Noho ora mai!