Week 6 Term 3: Totara House: Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki 'Airani 2025 (August 11 - August 15)

Te reo Māori Kūki 'Airani 2025

In Week 4 of Term 3 we celebrated Cook Island Language Week. The 2025 theme for Cook Islands Māori Language Week is "Ātui'tui’ia au ki te raurau a tōku matakeinanga" which translates to 'Connect me to the offerings of my people'. This year our Cook Island staff and students organized the very first inter house competition which was the Ura Pau competition. Ura Pau is a traditional Cook Island dance and is characterized by the swaying of the hips and is styled by the Cook Island drums. This was the first time that there has been an Inter House Ura Pau Competition for Cook Island Language Week at our kura and it was really exciting to see staff and students get involved, participate and celebrate te reo Māori Kūki 'Airani. 

Totara House Cook Island Group 2025 - before the performance

Totara House Cook Island Group - after the competition

As with every House event, Totara House were ready and excited to get involved with the Ura Pau competition. We were given four days to pull together students from our house to learn and perform Ura Pau. As with Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa 2025, I pulled together a group of students from the house to form the Samoan Group to represent our House at the competition. I did the same thing for te reo Māori Kūki 'Airani 2025, even though the turn around period was really short I knew that we had to get a group together. Led by one of House prefects, Mamarei Henry-Ru and supported by our two House Captions (Tupou Peaua and Louvina Palei) the Totara House Cook Island Group was comprised of 13 students from across Year 10, Year 12 and Year 13. There were 9 female performers and 3 male performers. The students performed at the Inter House Ura Pau Competition and placed First Equal with Puriri House. I am really proud of the students who represented Totara House and the kotahitanga that they continue to show every time we come together for our whanau group. Kotahitanga being one of our House values for 2025. The House leaders who led this campaign did an exceptional job in ensuring that the students involved came together, worked together and engaged in the process together. 

Totara House Cook Island Group 2025

Totara House Cook Island Group 2025 

The theme for this year is "Ātui'tui’ia au ki te raurau a tōku matakeinanga" - Although I am not from the Cook Islands I understand the significance of connecting ourselves to the offerings of our people. As a Dean, I feel so connected and I am so grateful to the offerings that the young people in my House continue to share collectively. I am humbled by their willingness to share and serve for our House. I am excited to continue this journey is offering, sharing and serving our House as we journey into this last part of 2025.  

Week 5 Term 3: English Department: Junior and Senior English Program for Term 3 (August 11 - August 15)

In this post I am going to highlight and outline the program that the English Department is going to offer our Junior and Senior English students. 

JUNIOR ENGLISH PROGRAM TERM 3

This term in English, we will be focusing on both written and visual texts. Some of our Junior English classes will delve into novels, while others will explore film. Across these different areas, we will be covering common assessment tasks such as formal writing, creative writing, and speech. 

Fostering strong oral communication skills is paramount, and by focusing on speech as a key assessment, we aim to equip our students with the confidence and ability to articulate their ideas effectively. This emphasis will allow students to develop crucial public speaking techniques, enhance their critical thinking through clear and concise expression, and prepare them for future academic and professional environments where persuasive and coherent verbal delivery is essential.

SENIOR ENGLISH PROGRAM TERM 3

As Week 7 and the Derived Grade Exams approach, our primary focus will be on ensuring all students successfully complete their NCEA internal assessments. We will dedicate class time to finalizing these crucial pieces of work, providing targeted support and opportunities for revision. Simultaneously, we will begin our concentrated preparation for the Derived Grade Exams, equipping students with the necessary skills and knowledge to perform their best in these upcoming assessments.

Our current focus is on effectively introducing our NCEA Level 1 students to the new 91926 standard. We are guiding them through this unit by explicitly teaching various writing types, such as opinion columns, personal account writing, and descriptive writing, with a strong emphasis on student agency and independent text creation. Students will have dedicated time to plan and draft their work, and we will assess them on this new standard during Week 8 and Week 9, where they will independently craft a text based on provided prompts.

Week 4 Term 3: English Department: Goals for Term 3 (August 04 - August 08)

Term 3 is crucial for the English Department, with priorities set for junior and senior English students, curriculum development, and alignment with school goals. The department acknowledges that flexibility is needed as the term progresses, but they will strive to meet their Term 3 objectives. Below are some of the goals that we would like to work towards and focus on in Term 3. 

Students at risk of achieving: 

We want to work with our identified students who are at risk of achieving credits in English. We have identified who the students were for Term 1 and we revisit the list in Term 3. We know that this list would have significantly changed since we have spent time in Term 2 to complete internal assessments.

Designing a unit for NCEA Level 1 English Internal Assessment: 91926: 

As a Department, we are designing a unit for a new NCEA Level 1 English internal assessment (91926). We will be running this assessment in Term 3 starting from Week 2 - Week 9. It has been a good process so far, getting everyone on board with the assessment and deciding what we want to do and how we want to assess it. We are excited to have started this journey with our NCEA facilitator Mr Alex Moffat-Wood.

Finishing Internal Assessments and preparing for Derived Grade Assessment: 

We know that Term 3 is our last full term with our senior students. We are looking to use the time well to ensure that our senior students complete their internal assessments and that they are also prepared for their Derived Grade Exams which will take place in Week 7 Term 3. 

Week 3 Term 3 - English Department: Review of Senior English Program Term 2 (July 28 - August 01)

The Senior English review for Term 2 will highlight the student achievement data for our NCEA Level 1, 2 and 3 English classes and the story behind the data.

NCEA Level 1 English (Term 2 results overview)

NCEA Level 1 English results Term 2 2025

There are 124 students enrolled in our NCEA Level 1 English course. Our credit achievement started in Term 2 as no credits are offered in Term 1 for NCEA Level 1 English. In Term 2 we focused on ‘Our Stories and Our Histories - through Poetry’ specifically looking at Tusiata Avia’s collection of poetry ‘The Savage Colonizer Book.’ The students are currently working on completing their first internal assessment for NCEA Level 1 English (91924) which is worth 5 credits. We are confident that our students will pass this assessment as we trust the unit and the assessment that we have designed. We knew from Term 1 that our student achievement data for NCEA Level 1 English will be slow due to the nature of our program. However we trust the program as it was successful last year. We are looking forward to seeing our student achievement data grow for NCEA Level 1 English.

NCEA Level 2 English (Term 2 results overview)

NCEA Level 2 English results Term 2 2025 

139 students are enrolled in our NCEA Level 2 English course. We have 83 students who are currently sitting with 0 credits. Of the 139 students enrolled we have 62 students who have achieved between 4 - 10 credits in NCEA Level 2 English so far. The students have been offered three internal assessments since we started school, which are: 91101 (6 Credits), 91104 (4 Credits) and 91106 (4 Credits). We are happy with the results that our akonga have achieved.

NCEA Level 3 English (Term 2 results overview)

NCEA Level 3 English results Term 2 2025  

There are 77 students enrolled in our NCEA Level 3 English course. There are 35 students who are sitting on 0 credits and 41 students who have achieved 3 - 9 credits for NCEA Level 3 English. We are really happy with the results so far, especially with over half of the cohort achieving credits for Level 3 English in Term 1 and Term 2. 

In my next post I will highlight what our action plan is for Term 3 in supporting our akonga with their achievement. 

Week 2 Term 3 - English Department: Review of Junior English Program Term 2 (July 21 - July 25)

The theme of our Year 9 and Year 10 English program for Term 2 was “I see myself in texts”. The primary text for our Year 9 and Year 10 English program for Term 2 varied across the different classes. Most of the classes focused on the visual text “Three Wise Cousins” (directed by Stallone Vaiaoga-Ioasa), Trash and a variation of short texts. The Common Assessment Task that our Year 9 and Year 10 students have been working on in Term 2 was Formal Writing and Creative Writing. 

Our Junior students also had Mid Year Junior Examinations in Term 2 which took place in Week 7. The students responded well to the English examination and we are really happy with what they were able to achieve. 

Junior English Exam Term 2 2025

Junior English Exam Term 2 2025 

We continue to use the online literacy app - StepsWeb. The students spend ONE period a week in the library on StepsWeb. We also use the library period for our students to read (the shared class text or a text of their own choice). This aligns with one of our Department goals in our Junior English program ‘Read for Pleasure.’Some of our Junior classes have used the online app - www.bookcreator.com - to create their own books for the Creative Writing Assessment. We are hopeful that we can use some of our student’s creative texts for our Department publication of ‘Our Voices.’

Week 1 Term 3 - English Department: Review Term 2 (July 14 - July 18)

English Department with Alex Moffat-Wood Week 7 Term 2

Although Term 2 was short (9 weeks), it was a very busy and full on term for the English Department. Across the last 9 weeks of Term 2, the English Department focused on our written text studies for our Junior and Senior English classes. We also spent time unpacking new assessments for NCEA Level 1 English and preparing for the Mid Year Junior Examinations. A significant change for our Department this term was the arrival of our new English Teacher - Mr Jeiel Sevilla. We are excited to have Jeiel join our team and to work with our young people. We are very grateful for Mrs Vivienne Hall for working with us in Term 1 and 2 ,we appreciate your heart and commitment to our Department and students. I am really proud of the work that we have done this term as a Department and with our students. In Term 2 we delved into our written text studies across Year 9 to Year 13 and it is always a fun and exciting learning experience with our students. We are able to explore and unpack texts with our students and expose them to a literary world that will open their lens to how they see themselves and the world.

We acknowledge that we are a digital school and we have embraced digital teaching and learning in its full capacity. However this term we have seen the power in physical writing and crafting of texts. We have encouraged our students to do this, specifically in our Junior School (Year 9 and Year 10 English classes). Our Mid Year Junior Examination for Year 9/Year 10 English was a physical paper and we saw our students fully engage in this assessment. There were no distractions or any temptations to use AI. The AI space is a space that we have found quite challenging, monitoring and managing student’s authenticity with their writing is an area that we are still navigating and finding our way through. We are hopeful that not just as a Department but also as a school we can have more clarity on what our policy and process is when it comes to the use of AI and ChatGPT. 

I am very appreciative of the work that the team has poured into our Department and students in Term 2, it can be very draining and time consuming. I am grateful for each and every single member of our English Department for their service in Term 2. I acknowledge that my job as HOLA cannot function without my colleagues. I want to thank and acknowledge the entire English Department - Ms Anahina Latu, Mrs Pravina Harde, Ms Francis Kolo, Mr Faiyaz Hoosein, Mr Jeremy Spruyt, Mrs Vivenne Hall and Mr Jeiel Sevilla for commitment, professionalism, talent, drive and enthusiasm for our learning area, for our learners and for each other. The strength of our Department lies in the strength in our relationship and in our history together. I thank you for trusting my leadership. I would also like to acknowledge the work of Mrs Mary-Anne Wyatt and Mr Marc Milford for your support of the English Department in Term 2. 

In my next post I will review, look at and unpack our Junior and Senior English program for Term 2. I will look at some highlights for both programs and what our current status is in terms of Student Achievement. I will then outline what our action steps we will implement as we go into Term 3. I look forward to sharing the review of the English Department Term 2 Junior and Senior English program in my upcoming reflections.

Week 9 Term 2 - Totara House: Understanding Manaakitanga (June 23 - June 27)

Totara House Assembly - Manaakitanga - 23/05/25 

In Term 1 Totara House spent time exploring, defining and confirming our House Values for 2025. I reflected on this journey and the values that we agreed on that would be our set of House Values for 2025 in my blog post in the last week of Term 1 - see Alby's Blog Post Entry: 30/03/25. The House Values that the Totara House Leadership Team shared and released to the House in Term 1 for this year are: 

Manaakitanga

Kotahitanga

Aroha

This term we focused on Manaakitanga and used the school Haka and Waiata as a vessel to explore Manaakitanga. In this post I will share what Totara House did in relation to Manaakitanga and the purpose behind it. 

MANAAKITANGA: (noun) hospitality, kindness, generosity, support - the process of showing respect, generosity and care for others.

What I have learnt as a beginning learner of Te Reo Maori that the literal translation of a word does not fully encompass the deeper context, meaning and definition. Understanding Manaakitanga requires one to see it, experience it and feel it through a Te Ao Maori lens. As a Samoan, this is something that I am learning and exploring in my own pedagogy and journey as an educator. What I have learnt from my Maori colleagues and experts is that Manaakitanga is centered around the reciprocity of kindness, respect, hospitality and humility. In the workplace it can be seen as being a responsible host, taking care of others, caring and nurturing the workplace environment, respecting each other's ethnicity and space. 

Totara House Assembly - Manaakitanga - 23/05/25

As the Dean of Totara House, I believe it is my duty to ensure that all of these aspects of Manaakitanga are in tact in how I lead the House. I believe it is my duty to ensure that the students in my House have a sense of belonging, that they feel like Totara is their home, that they respect everything and everyone in it, that they take care of others (staff and peers). One way that the House Leaders and I wanted to bring this to life and to exercise Manaakitanga was through the teaching and learning of our school Haka and Waiata. 

Totara House Assembly - Manaakitanga - 23/05/25

I believe that Haka and Waiata is a powerful vessel to introduce, integrate and celebrate Te Reo Maori to not only Maori students but all students. At our last House Assembly (Friday May 23 - Week 4 Term 2) Manaakitanga was the central theme for our Whanau time. The House Leaders spoke about Manaakitanga, what it means to them and then we spent the remainder of the assembly learning the school Haka. An important aspect of Manaakitanga is ensuring that people feel at home and that they respect the environment. Learning the Haka is reinforcing the sense of home, belonging and identity in which the Haka embodies. Respecting the environment links with the Haka because it is sacred to our environment and our kura. We are encouraged that all of the students from Totara House participated and got involved in the kaupapa that we were driving. Regardless of age, ethnicity or year level - we wanted to encourage all of our students to get involved in the learning and sharing of Te Reo Maori. This was our of not just talking about Manaakitanga but showing Manaakitanga in way that was engaging and meaningful for both our akonga and kaiako. 

Totara House Assembly - Manaakitanga - 23/05/25

I am in no means an expert on Manaakitanga and fully understand my limitations with Te Reo Maori. I believe that honouring Te Tiriti as an educator is centered around incorporating, integrating and celebrating Te Reo Maori whether you are fluent or not. We look forward to exploring Kotahitanga and Aroha (our other House Values) in Term 3.