Rangiatea - Teen Parent Unit

“He kakano ahau, I ruia mai I Rangiatea…” When a young parent comes to Rangiatea they are not just coming to school. Rangiatea is the place in the heavens where the baskets of knowledge are held. It is a source of learning and knowledge. Students become planted at Rangiatea and it becomes a place of support and growth as they learn as parents, as young people and gain the knowledge and skills for their future. “He kakano” is the seed. Each young parent is like a seed planted but they are also a foundation for the growth of their pēpe. Each hapu mama grows her pēpe in the whare tangata like a seed and becomes her child’s first teacher of knowledge and skills as the child grows. At Rangiatea our role is to support the parent/s to grow themselves and to nurture their child. 2021 has been a year of new growth at Rangiatea. Marion Woodley began in her role as Head of Department at the beginning of the year. Her background is in high school teaching English but she has also been in a teen parent school in Auckland. It has been great to have Pam Pearce join our teaching staff and bring her skills and talents. We have also welcomed a new teacher aide and van driver who is a previous student of the original teen parent support programme in Whakatāne. In Term 3 we began a van run to Ōpōtiki for those young parents who would like to attend Rangiatea. We are hoping that, in the future, more young parents between Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki will join us. We continue to work together to support success for all our students. All students are working towards completing NCEA, and gaining the skills and knowledge they need to have in order to succeed in the future. All students receive career guidance and support and, this year, a highlight was attending the Health Careers Expo at Whakatāne Hospital. For many students a barrier to employment is having a driver’s licence. A huge thank you to Mary-lou who has continued to provide awesome workshops for students working towards their Learner’s Licence and driving lessons for those working towards their Restricted Licence. In Whakatāne, there is big demand for workers in the hospitality industry and so it was awesome to run a Level 2 and 3 Barista Course. This is always lots of fun, and includes hands-on learning which builds students’ confidence to work in a customer facing and high pressure environment. It is not always about the mahi, it is also about growing as a whole person and taking care of our wellbeing. We have tried to get outside and do some regular exercise when the weather co-operates and have enjoyed growing kai in our vegetable garden. Another highlight in the year was the trip to Ruapehu and having a go at snowboarding at Ruapehu. We are already planning next year’s adventures which broaden our experiences and world. Our partnership with Te Tohu O Te Ora O Ngāti Awa provides all students with access to parenting support, tamariki ora nurses and many other services. We are also grateful to all the other health and wellbeing organisations who we work with. We are looking forward to celebrating the success of our students at our prize giving this year. One student has only been attending Rangiatea for 18 months and, in that time, she has completed Level 2 and 3 NCEA, her Restricted Licence, gained her First Aid Certificate and completed a Barista Course. Another student was able to achieve over 20 credits at Level 1 in only two terms while also juggling the care of her baby in the classroom and then transitioning her into daycare. The key to success seems to be attendance. Students who consistently turn up to kura have the opportunities and support they need to reach their goals. If you know of any young parents who would like to find out more about Rangiatea, please contact us through our Facebook page: https://www.facebook. com/RangiateaWhakatāne, text us on 0275464044, phone us on 07 929 5010 or email rangiatea@Whakatānehigh.school.nz