Whānaungatanga

We have been learning about Whānaungatanga in Tautoru. Whānaungatanga means doing activities that develop the bonds of collaboration and connection. This week Tautoru played two games to think about which one showed more Whānaungatanga values. It was rob the nest where you steal balls from each others hoops or help where taggers tag and then others have to help free you. The Tautoru kids had a keen eye for spotting Whānaungatanga in the help game! It showed teamwork, kindness and collaboration.

Then, we learnt about kākahu (māori cloak). We made a kākahu and wrote down different ways to show whānaungatanga on the feathers.

Here is a video if you would like to learn more about kākahu. 

On Thursday, we had Whānau Day where we all mix up and get into our whānau groups. This is a great opportunity to mix with other kids from different areas of the school. On Whānau Day, the focus was using tuakana-teina to teach whānaungatanga. The Tautoru kids taught others in the school about the kākahu and made one together.

Manaakitanga - Sharing our learning

Last week we had the seniors come in and teach. They helped us to learn the meaning of our school karakia by using actions. This week we got a turn to be the teachers. The year 4s came to learn about our Manaakitanga Friendship Hands and Happiness Wheels.

It was so fun to catch up and reconnect through learning. The year 3s and year 4s were together in Tautoru last year and we spent a lot of time with our year 2s who were in Autahi last year.

Te Wā Mahi Tahi- Learning by working together

The Junior School (Autahi and Tautoru) begins the week with our Te Wā Mahi Tahi sessions on the first block of Monday mornings. These sessions are designed to spark our creativity, develop our teamwork and problem-solving skills as well as springboard ideas for further learning during the week. We have been collecting lots of different loose parts materials that are able to engage us in creating, collaborating, adapting, measuring, testing, as well as a variety of other types of problem-solving.

Getting together and spending time being able to imagine, discuss and construct is helping us to learn both social skills (communicating and problem-solving) and the foundational skills for maths (estimation and measurement, Levels 1-2 NZ Curriculum), science (observing, testing, mixing, creating models, Levels 1-2 NZ Curriculum),  and technology (creating and testing prototypes, Levels 1-2 NZ Curriculum).

Te Wā Mahi Tahi gives us lots of ideas and language that we share with each other while creating, so it also gives us language to use for writing and further links we can make through reading about different topics.



Using materials to design a game that varies in challenge level


Sorting materials to create an invention. Testing the angle of tubes to transport a tennis ball. 


Testing ramps that will carry the tennis balls to the bucket

We have made links between what we are doing and the ‘grown-up world’. We identified that testing and constructing is something that, for example, scientists, builders, and engineers do, too. Lots of different occupations have to learn to use and look after different types of equipment, so we are really careful to pack up all the pieces carefully at the end of the session.






Here is one of how a Te Wā Mahi Tahi session links to the New Zealand Curriculum.


“We are working together to make a predator-free house.”
“Why is it predator-free?”- teacher.



“Because it has traps to keep the pests away from the native animals.”
“How is this helpful for the native animals?”- teacher
“The native animals don’t get their nests destroyed and they don’t get eaten by pests.”




Science Curriculum Level 2-
Life processes- Recognise that all living things have certain requirements so they can stay alive.
Ecology- Recognise that living things are suited to their particular habitat.


Technology Levels 1-2
Technological modelling: Understand that functional models are used to represent reality and test design concepts and that prototypes are used to test technological outcomes. Understand that functional models are used to explore, test, and evaluate design concepts for potential outcomes and that prototyping is used to test a technological outcome for fitness of purpose.

Nature of Technology - Characteristics of technology: Understand that technology is purposeful intervention through design. Understand that technology both reflects and changes society and the environment and increases people’s capability.

Weet-bix Kids Try

Worser Bay had 38 students representing our little school on the hill at the Weet-bix Kids Try on Sunday. This was a huge turn out for the event and it was fantastic to see our community enjoying an early morning start to the day.  

Willow - My favourite part was the cycle race."

Leo K - "I liked the biking because it was fun to ride on the road."

Most of the students competed as individuals, we had a couple teams and some of our younger students braved the Dash and Splash race. It was also fantastic seeing a group of students giving the race a go for the first time. 

Petra - "I was so proud of myself. I have not taken my medal off."

Finn - " It was so good to finish!"

Eddie - "It was great and exhausting but I was so relieved when I finished!"

Our Bravery, Perseverance, and a whole bunch of our character strengths were on display not only on the day but during the many practice sessions leading up to Sunday.

Lucca - "I was the fastest in the swimming pool."

Hanna - "I was really happy because lots of Worser Bay kids were there."

Archie - "I loved riding my bike."

Kura - "I found it interesting that there were so many rows of bikes!"

Thanks to everyone involved with motivating, training and cheering the students along on Sunday. Let's make 2022 another great turnout from Worser Bay School!

World Happiness Day

Monday was World Happiness Day and what a day it was. After sharing with our friends the things we like doing, the people we love and that make us happy, our favourite places and colours we worked on a poster to share these with each other.

Some of us learned new things about our friends and made connections with people that we didn't know so well. Discussing what makes you happy and why is a valuable discussion to have at home and it helps to build on what we are doing here at school.