Culturally Responsive: Changes to our names of spaces

2018 has brought about Change to Gilberthorpe School and has made us more culturally responsive. We have renamed all off our spaces within school grounds that represent the skills and attributes that we want our children to have.

Our school is known as Ara Tū Whakata - Gilberthorpe School.

Our topic focus for term one - has been on implementing the new changes and learning how to pronounce the names so they become everyday language for all.

I have been working really hard with making sure I use Te Ara Whakatau (Junior Hub) as much as possible and using the homebase names as often as I can so I can get familiar with these quicker. I have told the children how we are all on the same learning journey and are all trying to pronounce the names correctly.

I feel really confident with the names of spaces within Te Ara Whakatau, I now need to work on learning the names of spaces in Te Ara Takitini.

My homebase is called Te Rōpū Kura Pounamu - Means wee treasures. We are at the beginning of our learning journey who need to be looked after and nurtured.

We have been working hard on learning our name and what it means. We have also been learning a waiata for our class.

Te Rōpū Kura Pounamu Waiata:

He kākano ahau ( I am a seed)

I ruia mai i Rangiatea (From a special place)

I will never be lost

I am a seed born for greatness

Descended from a line of chiefs

He kākano ahau (  I am a seed)

He kura pounamu ahau (I am a wee treasure)