TE RĀ NUI KI WAHO

Tēnā koutou e ngā whānau o Kawana! Greetings to our Kavanagh families!

Yesterday we hosted Year 5 and supporting kaiako (teacher) Mr Keith Wilcox and from St Bernadette's School for the final Te Rā Nui ki Waho (The Big Day Out) of the year. After a warm welcome from our tūmuaki, Mrs Nicholson, the enthusiastic students completed an online Kahoot quiz and then made their way to the Christian Brothers' Gymnasium for a Physical Education lesson with classes 7DGR and 7OCS. After morning tea, the learning continued in the computer lab in the form of a digital technology Minecraft challenge. Students were tasked to recreate an authentic Māori village using traditional resources based on the tragic Tarawera volcanic eruption. In June 1886, much of the land (and human settlements) around Mt Tarawera were decimated in the deadly natural disaster including the pink and white terraces which were considered one of the natural wonders of Aotearoa New Zealand.

The standard of construction and attention to details was impressive with many students collaborating and using their creativity to build their ngā whare (houses), ngā mara (gardens), kumara pits and other features of village life. Year 5 tauira (student) Luka Ryan loved the Minecraft challenge and produced a fantastic whare with his team. After lunch our visitors spent the afternoon conducting experiments with dry ice in the science laboratories with HOD Mrs Kerron Thomson. Along with Mr Ian Adamson, Kerron has been a key part of the programme and it's success. On behalf of the college I would like to wish Ian the very best for his new Assistant Principal's position at East Otago High School starting next term. Kerron is also having a well deserved sabbatical and will be spending terms three and four working on her research project with the Ministry of Education.

Lastly a big thank you to our learners mentors who made the day a success yesterday - Melissa Quinn, Maria Moata'ane, Katalena Moata'ane, Esther Moata'ane, Laura Tagg, Holly Cairns, Jamieson Green, Daniel Ryan, Niamh Higgins and Vansh Kumar.