Te Kāhui Ako o Kōhanga Moa
NEWSLETTER No 1 May 2023
Whakatauki
E kore e taea e te whenu kotahi te whāriki te raranga
Heoi anō mā te mahi o ngā whenu, mā te mahi tahi o ngā kairaranga
Ka oti tēnei whāriki
The tapestry of understanding cannot be woven by one strand alone.
Only by the working together of weavers,
will such a tapestry be completed.
Our Values
Integrate - whakakotahitia Innovate - auahatia
Include - tāpeke Inspire - whakaohoohotia
Our Goal
The aspirational goal for our kāhui ako is to grow young people who, through being educated in our community and to use the words of NZ poet Allen Curnow: “learn the trick of standing upright here.”
Our way of operating, first and foremost, collaborative and strengthened by our professional respect for one another and underpinned by our united and passionate commitment to the young people entrusted to us.
Latest News
A Message from our Across School Teachers
Lorraine Hitchcock - AST
Tracy White - AST
Candice Bailey - AST
Across School Leads have been working away at a few initiatives and also working hard to review what we are doing as a Kahui.
We have been attending Staff Hui to gather information from staff, the answers to these questions are being used to inform not only how we can help but to create a review for teachers to measure themselves and their own level of participation and contribution as a teacher of the Kohanga Moa Kahui. We asked:
What do you know about our KA?
What do you want to know?
What does a high performing KA look like?
How can I (as a teacher) contribute to our KA?
We have also been able to attend the Across School Lead Hui held in Wanganui to connect with Across School Leads from 6 other Kahui Ako’s here we get to share ideas about what everyone is working on in their areas. We have also been fortunate to visit WITT where Candice is now based.
The Hautu Tool has been introduced to our BOT members across the Kahui Ako and the second session will be held in June.
Term 1 Wananga Week was very busy and a great Powhiri was held! Offering things like: Teacher Aide workshops, Year group connections, office workers connect, and an Advanced Yet Complex Needs Giftedness in girls workshop.
Along with gathering data for the next round of Professional Learning Development applications, we are also in full swing in organising the first round of programmes for Talented kids (Epro8) which will be happening in Week 4 of this term.
Pics from Wānanga Week Term 1
Kahui Ako Wānagna Week - Term 2 Week 6
Learning Support Co-ordinators
Term 1 and 2 have gotten off to a busy start. Alongside our fortnightly ECE and school Learning Support Action Team meetings that are designed to meet need within each individual centre, we also have a few Kahui Ako wide initiatives at play.
These initiatives are identified as a collective need across the majority of our centres. We then research efficacy-based responses and undertake professional learning ourselves before designing an initiative to best fit needs and resources in our Kahui Ako.
Our 2023 initiative focus is Trauma Informed education. We attended PLD around Developmental Trauma and will be providing Professional Development in Wananga week Term 2 on this topic to the Teacher Aides across all schools and centres as we aim to move towards becoming more Trauma Informed as a community.
We continue our weekly Jiu Jitsu sessions funded by Sport Taranaki through their Tu Manawa fund running every Wednesday with two groups, our 6-8 year old group and our 8-10 year old group. This caters to 20 young boys who have a diagnosis of ADHD or have experienced trauma in their lives. It focuses on a mind-body connection and supports them with their focus and emotional regulation. This was an initiative developed in 2022 in response to an identified need across a cohort of children in our school that present with ADHD traits.
We have also continued to work closely in the space for our Advanced Yet Complex Needs (Gifted) students, with a particular focus this year on identifying our Gifted Girls, 7 of which are starting at The Head Office Wharehuia this term. This was a response started in 2021 that has resulted in an initiative for Kahui Ako wide increase in teacher and staff capabilities to identify AYCN (Gifted) students, understand more fully what needs and support an AYCN (Gifted) student might require, and additional pathways for support (including funding) that are available.
Our 2020/2021 Initiative was introducing the Pause, Breathe, Smile Mindfulness programme across all staff in all Kahui Ako centres. This was the response to the identification of increasing cases of anxiety in school students. Research and discussion (with Clinical Psychiatrists and Paediatricians) led us to this efficacy based programme (that also incorporates Te Whare Tapa Wha) to be the first response in schools to address anxiety in students. Coincidentally Southern Cross Hospital came on board with National funding for this programme at the same time we were seeking funding for our schools staff training.
Nga mihi mahana ki a koutou,
Lynda and Kate
Happenings - Within School Teacher - Alice Smith
My role of Within School Teacher based at Inglewood Primary School has had me focusing on transitions throughout the school and year levels. 2022 was our 'Year of the Brave' where we were working with our new school whānau structure. It took a whole year to get to our first transition within this structure to see just how well our hard work paid off. 2023 started and the teachers and students within the school all felt like things were very settled and the transition to the next year level was so much smoother for all. Some of the feedback received was:
Love the bond that we create with our children when they stay in our whānau
Nurturing of tuakana/teina
Year 8’s feel a sense of leadership already
Children knew the expectations within the whānau hub and passed these down to new students and year 3 students (smooth!)
Stress on the kids having a big change seems to be way less on everybody. Kids are happy.
I feel more connected,protective and ‘aware’ of the children in the other classrooms in my Whanau then I have to previous year group structures
And the photos say it all!! The children have plenty of opportunity to work alongside children in other year levels and enjoy the tuakana/teina relationship this nurtures. They are also finding that it's not only the older students that are teaching the younger students. Our younger students have various learning opportunities that they are able to share and teach to the other students.
More 2023 Happenings
Kāhui Ako School Board of Trustees and other Governing Body attend Hautū training
Hautū are the leaders in a waka that call the time to the kaihoe | paddlers and guide the waka to travel in the direction of their vision.
Hautū: Māori Cultural Responsiveness Self Review tool for Boards of Trustees has been developed for boards of trustees (boards) of English medium school settings. Hautū uses cultural responsiveness as an approach to tailor actions to the needs of your school and community.
Eyes within our Kāhui Ako Spotlights
Inglewood High School
See attached 2 photos of IHS student leaders at the ANZAC dawn parade where Cameron and Anneka spoke to all the attendees.
1 photo of HB (Cameron Chambers) and HG (Anneka van Greevenbroek) with Carmel Sepuloni (Last Friday) - they joined student leaders from all the other high schools in the region in a meet and greet.
1 photo of Monique Wieruszowski - Monique has qualified to represent New Zealand in the World Junior swimming championship in Israel in September 2023. She is currently the 100m and 50m female Breaststroke national record holder in New Zealand.
Cameron & Anneka - speaking at Inglewood Dawn Parade
Cameron, Anneka with Carmel joining with other student leaders
Monique who has qualified to represent NZ in World Swim Champs in Israel.
Matua Rumatiki Timu working alongside Tamariki at Kaimata School
Te Kura o Kōhanga Moa Unveiling and Blessing of Tomokanga
Ten years ago, a young rangitahi, Tipunakore Rangiwai was having a korero with Mrs Patterson (Tumuaki) one day at the gate. Mrs Patterson asked Tipunakore to look from the gates and share his thoughts on what he saw at our kura in relation to Te Ao Māori. Tipunakore took a moment and looked. He then replied to Mrs Patterson “Well Miss, it’s gotta be more than words”. Mrs Patterson asked him to explain his thinking and Tipunakore went on to suggest “We need a Tomokanga”. The seed was sown. Over time, this korero never left Mrs Patterson’s mind, even after Tipunakore finished his time at Inglewood Primary kura.
Sometime later, Matua Moni Martin would come along to kura and work alongside his partner Whaea Marcelle with Kapahaka. Matua Moni, Mrs Patterson and Whaea Marcelle were having a korero one day and Mrs Patterson mentioned the story of Tipunakore. It was at that moment, it was agreed we could undertake the kaupapa to design, create and install a Waharoa.
Over time many Korero were held with various people around the kaupapa of this project, always guided and supported by Rumatiki Timu.
After a while the slabs of wood were sourced.
The Macrocarpa rakau came from the Caskey whānau south of Inglewood, however we learnt the whānau were ex pupils of Inglewood Primary. The Caskey whānau told us the story that ,over time they noticed that the tree slowly was leaning over each time Tāwhirimātea blew his gusty winds. One day the whānau looked out to see a Pīwaiwaka gently landing on the Macrocarpa Tree and it slowly fell to the ground. The Pīwaiwaka is a significant manu found within the whakairo of te Waharoa
Matua Moni was working alongside a group of rangatahi sharing stories about what was significant to our kura and the beginnings of the design work was created.
The slabs were blessed by Rumatiki Timu and the carvers Matua Moni Martin and Matua Barry Te Whatu, together with a few Rangatahi, they worked their magic.
Our korero around our Waharoa also incorporates aspects of our School Pepeha, significant Rakau, Kauri, Kowhai, Rata & Miro, together with their leaves and flowers. These are represented within our whānau hubs; Puke Haupapa, Tokomaru, Pouākai, Waiongana iti and Panitahi, our school REACH values, Kapahaka uniforms and Student Leadership opportunities. The frangipani flower and Harakeke represents the Pasifica community and diversity of cultures, The Mangopare represents - coming to show mutual respect for each other.
Iwi, Hapū, Trustees & Te Komiti Te Kōhanga Moa Marae
Matua Moni
Matua Barry and Matua Moni
Whaea Mako Jones
Matua Kaarena raua Whaea Marcelle
Ngā Raukura o Kōhanga Moa
Whaea Donna and matua Kaarena with Tamariki
Ngā Tane Haka led by Ngātai Mason
Ngā Raukura o Kōhanga Moa
Messenger / Martin Whānau
Kaea Mafa Fruen
Gideon Kingi ex pupil
Snippets from Norfolk School
Norfolk has used the annual ANZAC day memorial as the motivation for some learning about this important part of Aotearoa New Zealand History.
Below you will see photos of baking, art and which were our hands-on activities. We also used this as a context for reading and writing to learn about how this may have impacted those living in Taranaki or to put ourselves in the shoes of someone living through these events. Some children brought in names of family members who served in the First World War to research and we were excited to also find out about a close family link between one of our ākonga and a Victoria Cross recipient from the Second World War.
Who are we?
Our Team
Key Leadership Team
KEY LEADERSHIP TEAM
This group consists of Key Principals/Early Childhood Education & MoE Senior Advisors. This group meet twice termly (sometimes more)
The role of the Key Leadership Team is to:
- Updating (when required) the Achievement Challenge Plan that is focused on the needs of the learners.
- Deliberate acts of Leadership to ensure the Aims and Outcomes in our Action Plan can be achieved.
- Through an on-going plan of monitoring and review, support the Kahui Ako to build its effectiveness, including the capacity to operate responsively to community needs.
The Key Leadership Group and Across School Leads are working hard to moving the hui time to meet the needs of ensuring inclusion of Early Childhood Education voice at the hui.