Whānau Time Message:

Each fortnight we come together as a school to enjoy time together as a school family, celebrate learning and build and celebrate the special culture that makes us who we are.

Our overarching theme for this year has been to revisit, review, refine and celebrate the individual components that comprise our school culture, philosophy and way of learning, growing and being.

We have been focusing on one aspect per fortnight, every Monday Morning as a staff, and every second Friday as a full school at Whānau Time.

The Sequence We Are Following Is:

Our Vision                         - Ā Tātou Tamariki, Ō Tātou Whenua, Ka Ora Te Apōpō

                                             - Our Children, Our Land, For Our Future

Our Mission                     - Love to Learn to Lead

which we expand to      - We Love to Learn, 

                                               So We Can Learn to Lead, 

                                               So We Can Lead With Love

Our Whakatauki               - Toitū te Marae a Tane-Mahuta

                                                 Toitū te Marae a Tangaroa

                                                  Toitū te Tangata

Flowing through these is the message of HOPE

We focused on three meanings for HOPE that connect to the elements above:

HOPE                                       - Help  One Person  Everyday

                                                   - Help  Our  Planet   Everyday

                                                   - Help  Our  Pacific  Everyday

We had a very brief Whānau Time last week as it was our Dance Curriculum Live Show Day. My message was, therefore, pretty short and simple.

This year Pink Shirt Day has a question for you and for me  …

Will you      Be an upstander                 Not a bystander

A bystander watches while stuff happens and doesn’t say anything or do anything to help

An upstander stands up for what’s right. An upstander speaks up for what’s right.

An upstander speaks love.

Pink Shirt Day encourages us to be an upstander like our Pōhatu Tūmu,  Whakapono. Whakapono is all about honesty and integrity.

It’s about doing the right thing - even when no one is looking.

Whakapono is our Upstander stone - standing up straight and true.

Standing up for what is right.

When we speak up we are being an Upstander. We can do it gently, and in a way that doesn't make people feel shamed or threatened.

So back to our Pink Shirt Day question.  

Will you be an upstander like Whakapono and like Jacob?

And…  What will you do this week to be KIND like  Manaakitanga?