KŌRERO Ō MUA

Sharing resources and expertise among our Catholic schools to improve student outcomes is a priority of the Kāhui Ako Community of Learning (COL). 

Over the next four months, Kavanagh College will be hosting Year 6 students from all of our Catholic primary schools for a day. Science, te reo māori, physical education and digital technology will be delivered in a fun and engaging way to provide a unique learning experience. St Francis Xavier is our first visiting school on 24 June and former students of that school who are now at Kavanagh College will be helping to look after our guests as mentors. Mrs Carmel Jolly, Mr Ian Adamson and Mrs Siobhan Burke have been working hard with our Catholic principals and teachers to ensure a successful day for the Year 6 students.

Kavanagh College is also going off-site to connect and collaborate. This afternoon started the first of six visits from the Kavanagh College Māori Department to our Catholic primary schools. At St Joseph's Cathedral School, Tūrangawaewae (A place to stand) is the current school-wide topic of inquiry. Teachers of rooms Tūī and Kererū, Miss Katie Mason and Mrs Amanda McKewen, invited the Māori Depratment to share kōrero ō mua (stories from the past) with the Year 3 and 4 students. The children particularly enjoyed Battle of the Mountains and The Boy from the Sea. After the stories, students swung into creation mode and started to make mountains based on the artistic style of New Zealand author and illustrator, Peter Gossage. Tongariro, the chief, was brightly colored while Taranaki was covered with snow and ice. The beautiful female mountain, Pīhanga, was a popular choice by the girls and featured different shades of kakariki (green). 

A big thank you to principal, Mrs Jo Stanley, teachers and children of St Joseph's for making the visit so successful.Whaia te iti kahurangi, ki te tuohu koe me he maunga teitei" "Seek that which is most precious, if you should bow let it be to a lofty mountain" ..