Introducing Poutama

Highlighting Poutama

Ko Mauao te maunga, Kopurererua te awa, Okohanga te whare wānanga, Poutama o te Mātauranga te whānau, Ōtūmoetai te kura. Hurinoa i ngā kainga maha, nei te mihi mahana ki a tātou katoa te whānau whānui o te Kareti o Ōtūmoetai.

As seen far and wide, 2020 has brought many challenges to the world, to our communities, to our schools and to our homes. Facing these challenges, and supporting each other to cope, enables our rangatahi to strengthen their own resilience to persevere and push on.

Poutama has seen a very strong start to the year with a new influx of fresh, inspired, and motivated young rangatahi leaders across all year levels. Our Tātāriki, our lead manu of the flock from Years 12 and 13, develop what Māoritanga looks and feels like in and around school while growing their collective and individual leadership. Our Ruamano Executive committee, which focuses on diversity and the inclusion of culture, has initiated collaboration across the student leadership body to bring positive growth and, where needed, change to the student environment. Our Poutama Ambassadors from years 10 and 11 form the force of energy that helps to lead and inspire our teina from Ōtūmoetai Intermediate School through the Tuākana- Teina initiative of Te Ara Poutama.

E kore rawa te tangata e pakari i te wai mārino. One does not develop in calm waters.

Regardless of the challenges 2020 has laid before us, it is in these rough waters of time that we as a whānau lean on each other for support and guidance to navigate ngā piki me nga heke, the rise and fall of the seas ahead of us. The involvement, the mahi, and the mauri amongst the whanau Poutama post lockdown has been testament to the amount of growth that has occurred considering the trying circumstances.

As kaitiaki of tīkanga Māori in our kura, we value and cherish the bond we have with Ngai Tamarāwaho and Ngāti Ranginui, the Mana Whenua of our surrounding area. He mihi kau atu ki a Koro Tūmatawhao rāua ko Nana Maora. Nā rāua i arahi, i tiaki i a mātou.

Poutama o te Mātauranga is a leadership development programme, inclusive of the biculturalism of Aotearoa, in a multicultural community. Providing opportunity, culture, tautoko, leadership and connection, Poutama allows us all to find the confidence, the principles, and the resilience needed to navigate the world of a rangatahi, now and in the world of their futures.