Principal's Page
Kia Ora Friends and Ni Hao
Happy New Year: xin nián kuài lè. Gong xi fa chai.
It is the time of Chinese New Year, and this year is an auspicious one as it is the Year of the Dragon.
I am a real novice when it comes to these things, so I apologise for any mistakes I might make.
As I understand it, the Dragon in Chinese tradition has three main qualities.
The Dragon is Brave - in trying new things.
The Dragon is Strong - in facing challenges.
The Dragon is Lucky - in making friends and learning new things.
These are admirable qualities that I will be sharing with our children at Whānau Time tomorrow, and encouraging them to emulate this year.
Whānau Time will start at about 9:40 am tomorrow morning, in our Hall. Whānau Time happens once a fortnight at about this same time. Parents, friends and extended family members are always welcome to join us - our children love it when family can come along.
Whānau Time is also always Live-streamed - thanks to Lauren Nummy - and you are welcome to join us that way, too.
Join us live at - https://www.facebook.com/westheights.school
If you want to catch up with previous Live-Streams and other school event videos, you can visit our Western Heights YouTube Channel here - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCghV4HfxKIPKdvs3sdwMtmw/videos?view_as=public
There are 405 videos available to view with more to come soon. It's a cool way to take a trip back through time too - ten years of videos so far...
Welcome Back
It is always awesome to start a new year at Western Heights. This is such a positive, energised place - love, enthusiasm and innovation abound in our school.
I am always impressed at the learning environments our teachers have in place ready for the new year. Children are always welcomed back into an environment that is warm, nurturing, colourful, innovative and captivating to attention.
I met lots and lots of children out and about over the holidays, and every one of them (unlike many I saw interviewed on the TV news shows) was eager and enthusiastic to get back to school.
Yesterday we had a Mihi Whakatau to welcome all the new members of our WHS Whānau. Some of our new children were not just new to our school, but also brand new to our country, having arrived here from the other side of the world just a couple of days earlier.
The video of that Mihi Whakatau is on our YouTube channel here - https://youtu.be/esrXN_7DKws
Matua Aaron provided whaikorero - speech - for us the Tangata Whenua - the people of this place.
Whaea Jessie spoke in reply on behalf of the manuhiri - the visitors being welcomed into our family. Whaea Jessie often uses karawhiua as an encouragement to 'have a go'. She lived up to her own challenge and her response in Te Reo was outstanding and impressed us all.
Speaking of the impressive Ms Jessie Eyre, she is very soon to be a published author of a Māori themed book focussing on gratitude and written for children. Wananae - wonderful!
Speaking of wonderful, 26 of our staff (teachers and support staff) have signed up for Te Reo Māori language classes this year. This is a big commitment of their own time to make, but how awesome to see this passion for learning te reo and Te Ao Māori - the Māori world.
Hikoi to Waitangi:
Speaking of learning about Te Ao Māori, we took 50 staff up to Waitangi for two days of outstanding learning at the start of February.
We were welcomed at Waitangi just after 10 am - after an early departure from west Auckland, and we departed the Treaty Grounds just after 6 pm. We split into two groups - each group receiving a guided tour of the museum, a guided tour of the Treaty Grounds, and time to explore the exhibits and displays, a guided tour presented from a teacher-student perspective on how to teach the new Aotearoa New Zealand Histories Curriculum. We had interactive teaching workshops with local historians and experts focusing on how to incorporate and address the new curriculum, focusing on the Understand, Know, Do approach.
We also were treated to a Wero or Challenge and were welcomed onto the Marae and into the meeting house. Matua Aaron and I were honourary chiefs for our respective groups and responded in te reo to their whaikorero.
After an awesome meal together at Bad Habits in Paihia, we adjourned to the Kingsgate Hotel before leaving for Opononi for the Manea Footprints of Kupe experience the next morning. There, we were given a historical perspective of this important place where Kupe first arrived in Aotearoa, New Zealand. We learned the Māori creation story and the stories of all the Kaitiaki - Guardians - of earth, forest, ocean and sky.
To finish, we had a beautiful formal welcome where Matua Aaron again shone with his response, as did our staff with their waiata - song - of support. This was the prelude to a 4D experience of Kupe's life story in their theatre. It was stunning, immersive and included some unexpected surprises - I can't tell you as you need to go to Opononi and experience this for yourself, but 4D - four dimensions - is a hint.
On the way home, we stopped off to visit Tane Mahuta - guardian of the forest - a two-thousand-year-old Kauri tree. It is a magnificent living entity and we were (and are) in awe.
Photos of all these experiences can be found later in this newsletter.
As always - if you have questions or concerns about anything school-related - email me at macash@mac.com, and I will get back to you asap.
My very best regards to you all,
Ash Maindonald
Principal.
