Ruakākā Curriculum

INTRODUCTION | HE KUPU WHAKATAKI

The Ruakākā School Curriculum has been developed to express our school community’s approach to learning and teaching, and is a reflection of the way we do things at Ruakākā School. This shared document has been developed after consultation with students, staff and whānau, and outlines how our school intends to give effect to the New Zealand Curriculum. It is guided by our vision for our tamariki, our school values and the teaching and learning frameworks implemented within our school community.

We believe our particular approach to learning and teaching, along with support from whānau and the community, will help to realise our vision of nurturing and celebrating students’ individual talents, needs and abilities in an environment in which innovation and cultural identity are embedded.

VISION STATEMENT | HE TIROHANGA WHĀNUI

To provide a rural school environment where innovation and cultural identity are embedded, and students’ individual talents, needs and abilities are nurtured, celebrated and supported by the whānau and community so that they become confident, connected, actively involved, lifelong learners.

Ki te tū hei kura taiwhenua, e whāngai ana i te auahatanga me te tuakiri ahurea o ngā ākonga, ā, e poipoi, e whakanui, e hāpai hoki ana ngā whānau me te hapori i ngā hiahia, ngā pūmanawa me ngā āheinga o ia ākonga kia taea e rātou te tū pakari, te whai hononga, te kuhu tōtika hoki ki te ao mō ake tonu atu.

SCHOOL MOTTO | HE KŌRERO Ā-KURA

Ka aroha tātou ki te ako tahi.

We love to learn together.

Our School Motto embodies the idea that we are all a part of a learning community. Our tamariki, along with their parents, caregivers and whānau, the teachers, support staff, as well as our wider community, all seek to learn from each other and support each other’s growth and development. As a school we value a tuakana / teina approach, and aim to implement this approach within our teaching and learning programmes, in group, class and whole-school settings.

SCHOOL VALUES | NGĀ UARA O TE KURA

Our school values help us to interpret and give meaning to our vision of nurturing and celebrating students’ individual talents, needs and abilities by ensuring that all tamariki at our school are given opportunities to SHINE.

As well as relating to our school vision, SHINE is an acronym that helps remind us of each of the five values that, after consulting with students, staff, whānau and the community, we have found to express what is most important to us at Ruakākā School. Our values are based on our belief that to SHINE we must Show respect, Help others, be Inclusive, Never give up and be Environmental Guardians. Our values express a set of attitudes and attributes that both adults and students in our learning community are expected to model and act upon in everything that we do.

SCHOOL MOTTO | HE KŌRERO Ā-KURA

Ka aroha tātou ki te ako tahi.

We love to learn together.

Our School Motto embodies the idea that we are all a part of a learning community. Our tamariki, along with their parents, caregivers and whānau, the teachers, support staff, as well as our wider community, all seek to learn from each other and support each other’s growth and development. As a school we value a tuakana / teina approach, and aim to implement this approach within our teaching and learning programmes, in group, class and whole-school settings.

SCHOOL LOGO | TE TOHU A TE KURA

Central to our school logo design are our school values ‘SHINE’, which are depicted in the sun that rises above Mt Manaia. This represents the importance of the values in which we endeavour to instill within the tamariki of Ruakākā school.

The maunga Manaia represents our strong links to the local iwi of Patuharakeke. To acknowledge these links, and to celebrate the maunga that we see every day from our school grounds, we also identify Manaia as our maunga within our school pepeha.

Flying above the maunga are the two kākā birds. This acknowledges the story of how Ruakākā got its name.

The six koru under Manaia represent the six years that a child will spend at Ruakākā School. The koru are intertwining, with six above, and six below. This depicts our school motto of ‘Ka aroha tātou ki te ako tahi’, ‘We love to learn together’ by representing the importance of collaboration and reciprocal relationships built between students, staff, whānau and the community throughout a child’s learning journey at Ruakākā School.